


A Compass To You

by Kiminiren



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS, 여자친구 | GFriend (Band), 크나큰 | KNK (Band)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - 1920s, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Blood and Violence, Dialogue Heavy, Domestic Violence, F/M, Fluff, Hanahaki Disease, Major Character Injury, Mild Sexual Content, Minor Character Death, POV Multiple, Romance, Soulmates, Suicidal Thoughts, Titanic - Freeform, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2019-06-23 13:36:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 65,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15607419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiminiren/pseuds/Kiminiren
Summary: ”Your compass will always return to you when you feel like you've lost it...  It will always be with you as long as you are thinking about it."ORAll aboard the S.S. Tang!  The soulmate AU in which everyone is gifted a compass on their eighteenth birthday that points them in the direction of their soulmate.





	1. Intro

 

 

 

**Introduction of the Characters**

* * *

 

Kim Namjoon, 34

Well-known naval architect

 

Ahn Solbin, 19

Singer on the S.S. Tang 

 

Min Yoongi, 25

Heir to the famous aircraft company, Min Dynamics

 

Kim Jisoo, 24

Motorman on the S.S. Tang

 

Jeon Jungkook, 21

Runaway from Busan

 

Kim Yeri, 23

Daughter of the shipping company, Kim World Shipping & Logistics Co.

 

Kim Seokjin, 44

Ship captain of the S.S. Tang

 

Kim Sowon, 43

Onboard nurse

 

Jung Hoseok, 30

Pianist on the S.S. Tang

 

 

Bae Jinye, 17

Singer on the S.S. Tang

 

Park Jimin, 22

Cellist on the S.S. Tang

 

 Seungjun, 21

Motorman on the S.S. Tang

 

Kim Taehyung, 25

Heir to the Jewelry company, Kim Jewelers

 

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for a rollercoaster :)


	2. I Hate You, I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ”Your compass will always return to you when you feel like you've lost it. It will always be with you as long as you're thinking about it."
> 
> ”Yeah? And how do you know?”
> 
> ”Just from observation.”

 

 

 

 

 

**YOONGI**

 

_"My compass went as crazy as I did when I first saw your mother," Yoongi's father starts.  "I'm surprised I recovered in time to ask her for her name."_

 

_"You and your broken Japanese," his mother giggles._

 

_"My jaw hit the floor when I laid my eyes on her.  She was so beautiful," he softly says as he gently pulls his short wife flush against his side.  "My compass fell at her feet after I bumped into her and then we just knew," he says to Yoongi._

_"Hey!" Yoongi's mother playfully hits her husband on his chest.  "I_ was _beautiful?" she says with furrowed eyebrows.  "And you should have been watching where you were going!  You almost made me fall over from how hard you bumped into me!"_

_"If I were watching where I was going, I wouldn't have bumped into you," Yoongi's father explains as he lifts a hand to smooth the crease between his wife's eyebrows with his thumb.  "And you are even more beautiful now than you were then," he whispers as he brings his hand down to caress her cheek._

_"You even got me that expensive necklace from Kim Jewelers and you barely knew me," she laughs as she leans up to kiss her husband on the mouth._

_"Gross," a 10-year-old Yoongi says as his parents laugh.  He hops down from the kitchen bar stool and runs back to his room to play with his toy airplanes._

_Yoongi's mother turns back to her husband and rests her hand in the middle of his chest, feeling the warmth of his heartbeat.  "We should go back to Japan sometime, hm?"_

 

 

"No!"

 

Yoongi wakes up the same way he usually does every morning, in a cold sweat and gripping his bed sheets due to the same nightmare he's been having since last May.   

 

Images from the accident always leak their way back into Yoongi's subconscious no matter what he does. 

 

The spark of a fire, the popping of the engine, the sound of metal scraping against metal, broken glass, thin wisps of smoke softly rippling against thick stains of dark blood, two shattered compasses with each of their magnetic needles struggling against their jeweled bearings to point to one another until they gradually stop.  

 

In the scalding heat of the summer of 1928, that was the coldest night for Yoongi.  

 

Yoongi sits up and runs a shaky hand through his damp, matted hair.  He grabs for the glass of water sitting on his bedside table and chugs it.  He lowers the glass to his lap and quietly stares at the family portrait hanging on the wall directly across the room. 

 

He breathes in and exhales through his mouth.   

 

The last thing Yoongi remembers before the accident is his parents opening the front door after dinner with smiles on their faces, telling Yoongi to go put on his coat so they could all take a ride on his father's new airplane model.    

 

"Good morning, Yoongi," his butler enters the room.  "Or should I say good afternoon."   

 

Yoongi stays silent and closes his eyes.  He's so tired.  His eyes are always heavy no matter how much he sleeps in his mourning state. 

 

"It is almost 1929.  Can you believe it?  I did not think I would live long enough to see this coming year," his butler jokes as he shuffles across the dark room to open the curtains, welcoming in the afternoon's sun and picking up the untouched breakfast tray on the bedside table. 

 

The sunlight peeking through the windows burns Yoongi's eyelids. He scrunches his eyes and falls onto his back, pulling the comforter up and over his head.  

 

"You know, your parents wouldn't want you sleeping in this late," his butler sighs.  "They wouldn't want you to isolate yourself from everyone and everything."  

 

"Well, I'm not isolated from you, am I?" Yoongi questions with irritation laced in his voice.  

 

"I am not here to argue with you.  You should be—"  

 

Yoongi lifts the covers from his face and angrily sits up.  "You are in  _no place_  to tell me what I should and should not do,"  he warns.  "You are just a butler—"  

 

"Yes, I am just a butler, but I am the closest thing you have to a father figure right now," he says sternly.  He sees that he struck a chord in Yoongi and takes a breath to calm himself down.  "I am trying to tell what I know to help you.  It's been a year.  When are you going to start listening?"  

 

Yoongi says nothing as he lays back down and curls in on himself. 

 

Yoongi's butler has been with the Min family even before Yoongi was conceived.  He watched Yoongi grow from a small infant to the man he is today.  He knows Yoongi like the back of his hand, and right now Yoongi hates the thought of that.  

 

"What are you trying to say?" Yoongi says quietly.  

 

"That your parents would want you out of this bed, to stop moping around, to go and see the world just like they did.  They didn't start an airplane company for no reason and you know that,"  he says as Yoongi's eyes begin to water.  His butler makes his way to exit the room before he turns back to Yoongi.  "They may be gone, but is it that bad of an idea to go out and live for them instead?"  

 

"I just...want to be alone."  

 

"Let me know if you need anything," his butler says as he bows and leaves the room.

 

 

 

It's the last Friday of December and a twenty-five-year-old Yoongi hesitantly stands in his large foyer with a rolling suitcase at his feet and a train ticket to Busan resting in his nervous hands.  The maids and butlers politely bow to him and wish him safe travels as they pass by to continue their duties for the day.   

 

 _Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get back into bed_ , Yoongi thinks.  He longs for the safety and comfort of his parent's bed upstairs.   

 

Before Yoongi can make his retreat to the stairs, he is met with the sight of his butler holding Yoongi's compass in one of his gloved hands.  

 

"You forgot this in your bedroom, sir," the butler says.  "Didn't want you to leave without it."  

 

Yoongi tries to keep a stoic expression as he looks at the compass. 

 

He hasn't seen this part of himself since his parents died.  The part of him that he recklessly threw into the back of his wardrobe a year ago and forced himself to never think about because it reminds him too much of his parents.       

 

He remembers waking up on his 18th birthday with a compass in a place where it wasn't when he fell asleep the night before.  He remembers squeezing the cool metal in his hands and seeing the bar needle pointing away from him. 

 

His parents were so happy for him. 

 

Yoongi was always excited about the idea of having a soulmate because his parents were soulmates and he could tell that they were so in love with one another.

 

Yoongi hesitantly takes his compass and he clears his throat.  "Um...  Thank you," he mutters. 

 

He stands there quietly, awkwardly shifting his weight between his feet.  He looks down at the compass in his hand to see it pointing towards the door behind him. 

 

Yoongi is scared.  More like terrified.  He only planned on traveling to Japan in memory of his parents, not to find his soulmate.   

 

"What if I don't find what I'm looking for in Japan?  W-What if it's not what I'm expecting—I don't even know what I'm expecting," Yoongi stops to breathe.  "What if this," he lifts the compass in his hand, "leads me nowhere?" 

 

Yoongi doesn't know what he wants.  He's been so numb since the accident.  Then again he knows what he needs, and sulking all alone in his big mansion is only making things worse for him.  

 

"Don't worry.  Just focus on what you need to do right now, which is going to Japan for your parents, and then everything else will come later," his butler reassures him.  

 

Yoongi looks behind the man in front of him at the portrait of his parents.  He opens his mouth to say something but is stopped when his butler takes a step forward and rests a hand on his shoulder.  

 

"Your parents would be very proud of you for doing this, Yoongi.  We all are.  We might not understand the trauma you've gone through, but we do understand how difficult it can be to face the world after closing it out," he smiles. 

 

His butler removes his hand from Yoongi's shoulder and steps back to adjust his coat. 

 

"But if you find that special someone, please do bring her back here for all us to see.  And even if that doesn't happen, we will still love you the same way we do now.  We aren't just your maids and butlers, we're your family, too."  

 

"Okay," Yoongi exhales.  "A-and I want to apologize...for how I have been treating all of you since..."   _Since his parents' death._   "I know I haven't been the nicest to you all and—"  

 

"It's all alright, sir.  We understand," his butler says.  He looks at his watch.  "You should go now.  I would tell you to take your time, but you kind of already did that," he chuckles.  "Go catch your train."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**JUNGKOOK**

 

Jungkook steps off the train with a huff. 

 

A duffel bag is slung over his shoulder and a is hand holding onto an old guitar case.  A gust of cold air hits his form and forces him to pull the collar of his coat with his free hand upwards to cover his neck.  His eyes are scanning the area around him when he feels someone bump into his shoulder.  

 

"Oh, I apologize!  I—I wasn't watching where I was going," a man quickly says to Jungkook before whispering to himself, "My first time out of the house and this happens."   

 

Jungkook turns around and is met with unusual blonde hair and black specs.  "Your hair," he starts.  

 

The man catches Jungkook staring.  "Ah, this," he lifts a shy hand to his hair, "It runs in the family," he says with a nervous chuckle. 

 

There's an awkward pause and the blonde suddenly jerks forward with his hand held out, "Let me formally apologize," he pauses with furrowed eyebrows.

 

Jungkook puts down his guitar case.  "Jeon Jungkook," he takes the man's hand and gives it a firm shake.  "And there's no need to apologize, mister..."  

 

"Min Yoongi," he supplies, letting go of Jungkook's hand.  He glances at Jungkook's guitar case as he picks it up.  "You play?"  

 

Jungkook smiles down at his guitar—stolen, but he won it in a very  _fair_  game of poker a few years ago—and he laughs, condensation puffing out of his mouth.  "Yeah, a little."  

 

"You must be really good," Yoongi says.  "I am not that coordinated with my fingers, so..."  

 

Jungkook can tell the man in front of him is trying to make some conversation. 

 

Jungkook wonders if Yoongi has any friends and why Yoongi is still talking to him, but it's been a while since Jungkook has had innocent small-talk with someone and he somewhat likes it.   

 

"Are you a performer on the ship?"  Yoongi asks.  

 

"Um," Jungkook glances down to the cruise ship being docked.  "Just wanna get away for a little while," he says instead.  He still isn't sure if he'll be able to find the person with his ticket with all of these people bustling around them.  "What about you?"  

 

"I'm planning on seeing my parents in Japan," Yoongi says.   

 

Jungkook doesn't miss the sadness in the man's voice.  Yoongi's posture is screaming for help, but Jungkook isn't used to consoling others when they're sad.  

 

He waits for Yoongi to continue, but he doesn't.  "I hope you get to see them," Jungkook says, trying to sound encouraging.

 

Yoongi slightly nods his head and begins gathering his things.

 

 _Do something nice, Jungkook._   

 

"Listen," he says before Yoongi can walk away.  "Since we're going to the same place, we could maybe...hang out, you know?  Like on the cruise ship.  Like friends, maybe?  Only if you want," he quickly adds.  

 

Jungkook can't remember the last time he's had a friend, but he can see himself being good friends with Yoongi.  Having not-so-good parents, running away, gambling, and cheating pulled him into a life of loneliness and constantly looking over his shoulder.  

 

Yoongi perks up at what Jungkook is trying to offer.  "Really?  I mean—um, yeah," Yoongi coughs.  "I haven't had a friend in a while so...  Thank you." 

 

They're both looking at each other with light smiles before Yoongi flicks his wrists and looks at his watch. 

 

"Well, I'll be on my way then.  I need to find a restroom, I've been holding it the whole train ride here.  See you on board, I guess," Yoongi says while waving.  

 

Jungkook nods in Yoongi's direction as Yoongi walks away with his rolling suitcase.  He strides towards a bench and sits down, fishing through his pocket to find the letter he received not too long ago from a stranger. 

 

The letter tells him to go to the seaport in Busan and find a merchant dressed in red who will give him a ticket for a cruise ship leaving from Busan to Japan.   

 

This is Jungkook's only way out of here and he's never looking back once he sets foot on the ship.  He's in so much debt with the local loan sharks and playing in random bars isn't paying the bills. 

 

Running from city to city isn't easy either. 

 

Before Jungkook can get too overwhelmed with his thoughts, he closes his eyes and lifts his face towards the sun, focusing on the sound of seagulls flying overhead and the smell of salt in the winter air.  

 

"This has gotta be it," he mutters as he pulls out his compass and looks down at it for the one hundredth time today. 

 

He feels silly every time he looks at his compass.  It's pointing to the enormous cruise ship on the port below him, slowly wavering from left to right but surely leading Jungkook towards it. 

 

Jungkook knows there's probably one percent of people in the world that actually follow their compasses.  A lot of people date and marry other people that aren't their soulmate, but Jungkook stays hopeful that he'll somehow meet his. 

 

His stomach flutters at the thought of his soulmate being on the ship, or even being in Japan. 

 

He stuffs his compass back into his pocket and runs his fingers through his hair.  He lifts his pocket watch into view. 

 

"Okay," he breathes.  "Time to find this merchant and get on that ship."

 

 

 

After eating some free stir-fried rice cakes elderly lady kindly offered him,  _because you are just so handsome_ , Jungkook is making his way down the busy port when he someone calls out to him from a small booth. 

 

He tightens the hold on his belongings and gives the merchant a strange look.  

 

"Oh, come on," she waves Jungkook towards her booth.  "I don't bite," she smiles. 

 

The merchant is wearing a traditional hanbok dress that is pure crimson with golden detailing.  Piles of jewelry and gemstones lay on the wooden table before her.  

 

Jungkook hesitantly walks forward, “Sorry, ma’am, but I'm not looking to buy anything from you.”  

 

She raises a playful eyebrow at him.

 

Jungkook moves to leave before he notices the merchant is the only one wearing red in the whole vicinity.  His eyes widen in recognition before he almost whispers, "Are you the merchant with the free ticket?"

 

"Bingo!" the merchant widely smiles and clicks her tongue.  "I wore this  _very_  red dress so you would be able to find me," she motions at her outfit.

 

“Will you give the ticket to me?”  Jungkook asks expectantly, leaning in. 

 

The thought of how this woman knows who he is doesn't even cross his mind.  All he wants to do is hurry up and board the ship.  

 

“I will,” the merchant smirks.  “But only on one condition,” she says as she opens a drawer beneath her table and gently pulls out a necklace littered with diamonds.  “You can get your ticket if you take this necklace off my hands.”  

 

Jungkook gives the woman a confused look as leans away from the table.  “I already told you I'm not interested in what you are selling—“  

 

“I said  _take_ , not buy,” the merchant firmly reiterates.  “If you don’t take this necklace, I can’t give you the ticket to get on that big cruise ship behind you,” she says as she fixes her gaze behind Jungkook.  

 

Jungkook glances back at the boat and breathes in.  “What’s in it for you?” he asks.  

 

“Nothing, other than money,” she sighs as she absently plays with a small jewel on the table.  “All you have to do is deliver it to a gentleman named Kim Taehyung.  Simple as that.”  She looks at Jungkook’s hesitant form before she speaks again.  “He'll be on the ship with you.  Just ask around for him,” she reassures him with a tight smile.  

 

“Okay,” Jungkook agrees. 

 

He can't deny this offer, especially when he's getting a free pass onto a ship that will take him away from his financial problems.  He just has to find this Kim Taehyung among a sea of hundreds of people.  

 

_That'll be easy, right?_

 

He takes the necklace and carefully slips it into his bag.  When Jungkook zips his bag closed before the merchant offers him the ticket, which he gladly takes.  

 

“Safe travels,” the woman says as she waves at his retreating figure.  

 

Jungkook looks back at over his shoulder as he walks away, only to find that the woman has disappeared from the booth she was just occupying seconds ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**JISOO**

 

Jisoo opens her eyes with a gasp as she hears something hard clank near her feet.  She looks down to see a rusty wrench and she clasps a hand on her forehead.  

 

 _God, I fell asleep again._  

 

The warmth of the engine room is no help when she's trying to stay awake.  She can work long hours, but her little brother has been getting more and more sick this winter, making her take his shifts so he can rest.   

 

"Get back to work, Jisoo," her boss, Mr. Lee, barks.  "I was extra nice today and let you sleep in a very uncomfortable position in that sad corner for over an hour.  Stop taking shifts for your brother, you're not getting paid extra for that."  

 

Jisoo isn't trying to make extra money.  She's just trying to do whatever it takes to make things work for her and her brother.  Jisoo loves working on the ship and she's been here for years, but it comes with long hours and a tired aching body.  

 

"Yes, sir," Jisoo replies, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.  

 

"I'm tired of looking at you.  Instead of being down here, go change your clothes and head up top to help the last of the guests with their luggage."  Mr. Lee grunts as he bends over to pick up the wrench he just threw at Jisoo and points it at her face, "And your brother better be down here within the next hour to help me and the rest of my men to get the ship ready to go or the both of you will be down here shoveling coal until your hands melt off."  

 

"I'll make sure he's down here, sir," Jisoo says as she tries to suppress a laugh. 

 

Mr. Lee tries to look tough on the outside, but Jisoo has seen him sniffle into the scented letters his wife sends him on more than one occasion.  

 

"You're dismissed."  

 

 

 

Jisoo carefully opens the door to her and her brother's shared room.  She leans against the doorway and crosses her arms, smiling as she watches her brother sleep. 

 

He lies on his stomach, his limbs are haphazardly spread across the mattress and Jisoo swears she spots a hint of drool leaking from the corner of his mouth. 

 

She wants to let him sleep, but she knows Mr. Lee will be after their necks if she doesn't wake him up soon.

 

Jisoo moves to sit on her brother's bunk bed and softly shakes his shoulder until he opens his eyes.  "Hey, wake up,  Seungjun."

 

Seungjun stretches and rolls over onto his back with a groan.

 

"Mr. Lee wants you working in the engine room tonight," she brushes his hair away from his face and feels his forehead with the back of her hand.   "Looks like your fever broke.  Will you be alright going to work?  I can take your shift again and—"  

 

"No, you've done more than enough," Seungjun yawns.  "You must be tired."

 

Jisoo shakes her head, "I'm more awake now.  Mr. Lee let me sleep for a  _whole_ hour during my shift," she smirks.  "I think he's starting to get a soft spot for us."  

 

"Wow, I can't believe he let you do that," Seungjun says, totally amazed.  He absently plays with the hem of his comforter.  "I feel a lot better after getting some extra sleep.  Thank you for taking my shifts these last two days."  

 

"Anything for you," Jisoo ruffles her brother's bed-head.  

 

"Oh my God," Seungjun sits up.  "Are you crying?"  

 

"No!  It's just that you're my little brother and I love you so _much_ and—"  

 

"Yah!  I think you keep forgetting I'm twenty-one, not seven," Seungjun pouts.   

 

Jisoo laughs and she pushes Seungjun back onto his bed as she stands up.  She takes off her work cap and lets her hair fall down her back.  "I'm here to shower and change.  I've gotta help the last of the guests with their luggage, so I'll be up top this afternoon."  She walks over to her dresser and starts to brush her hair.

 

"Lucky," Seungjun mutters.  He rolls over to his side and stares at Jisoo's cap resting on her dresser.  "You know, you really dolook like a boy when you wear that cap and your work uniform.  I'm not surprised no one's figured you out yet."  

 

Jisoo puts down her brush and scoffs.  "Well, I'm trying to keep it that way for as long as possible so we don't get kicked off of this ship," she reminds him as she ties her hair back up.   

 

Their father fell sick during his vacation from working as a motorman on the S.S. Tang when Jisoo was sixteen.  Their mother was never around, leaving the siblings to raise each other and nurse their father to health whenever he fell ill. 

 

Even when their father eventually got over his illness, he still felt the pain in his bones from arthritis and couldn't move around like he used to.  Jisoo begged to take her father's place so he wouldn't have to struggle while doing simple tasks on the ship. 

 

Her father instantly refused, saying that a ship's engine room was no place for a woman.   

 

Jisoo will never understand why women can't work in certain jobs.  She loves the fast-paced environment at the bottom of the ship and her dad taught her everything she knows when comes to ship engines and repairing machines.  Jisoo found her father's work documents and fled during the night to take the place of her father on the ship. 

 

She knows her father is still upset with her, but she still sends him her pay and he always sends a letter back telling her how much he misses her.  Three years later, Seungjun was old enough to get a job on the ship and joined his big sister.    

 

"I'm going to shower now.  You better be up and gone to work before I'm done," Jisoo says as she starts to unzip her jumper and opens the bathroom door.  

 

"Yes ma'am," Seungjun salutes from his bed.

 

 

 

Jisoo makes it back up to the deck and sees the last of the crowd boarding the ship after helping a couple to their suite.  When no one seems to be needing Jisoo's help, she spots a man with his back turned to her, struggling to pull his rolling suitcase from a raised bolt on the deck's floor.  

 

"Let me help you, sir," Jisoo says as she places both of her hands on each side of the suitcase and gently lifts.  

 

"Oh.  I would never have thought to lift," the man’s voice drifts in thought.  The man turns to Jisoo and she sees his eyes go wide for a fraction of a second before he straightens his posture. 

 

"Thank you," he coughs awkwardly and adjusts his glasses.  "I-I've been having a strange time with my suitcase today."  

 

"Yeah," Jisoo starts.  "Not many people travel with suitcases with wheels on them," she laughs.  She looks over his features as he slips his hand in his coat while the other holds on to the handle of his suitcase.  "Is your hair naturally that color or—"  

 

"It runs in the family," he says automatically. 

 

"Oh, wow," Jisoo says.  Her eyes travel from the man’s blonde hair to his eyes.  

 

 _He's so handsome.  Why couldn't I have met this man as a woman?_  

 

They stare a little too long at each other. 

 

Jisoo notices a bead of sweat running down the side of his face.  

 

 _Winter isn't close to being over, he must've been really struggling with his suitcase._   

 

"Are you okay?  You seem to be sweating a bit."  

 

"I-I'm fine," he says quickly.  

 

"Sorry—would you like me to guide you to your room?"  

 

The blonde man stares at Jisoo for a beat, something unreadable in his eyes.  "Um, yeah," he mutters.  "This is my first time on a cruise ship and I have no idea how to read this thing," he says as he offers Jisoo his ticket.  

 

Jisoo begins walking after she takes the ticket and the man follows closely behind her.  "Mr. Min Yoongi," she reads the ticket as they enter a corridor.  "Min...  As in Min Dynamics, the airplane company?" Jisoo says after some thought.  "Your accommodations are on floor B, by the way.”

 

Yoongi clears his throat.  “Y-yes. H-how did you know?  About the company, I mean.”  

 

“I hear it's a well-known company, but I don’t really know much about it.  I’ve always been fond of airplanes, though," she says as she bows toward some guests walking passed them in the hallway.  

 

“Really?  You're interested in airplanes?” Jisoo hears the smile in Yoongi’s voice as they walk towards a stairwell.  

 

“Yeah,” Jisoo hums.  "My family lives near a small airport, so I used to be really fascinated with them—well, I still am.  I would ask my dad for toy airplanes for every birthday when I was younger.  He always told me he would buy the best airplane in the world to fly me and my little brother over the ocean to Japan," she smiles.  

 

She hears Yoongi lightly chuckle behind her.

 

"I've never been able to ride inside of one, but from what I hear from the fancy people that come and go from this ship is that they are really amazing...  Flying and all that," Jisoo gestures with her hands. 

 

She stops to turn around and face Yoongi, who is intently looking at her. 

 

"I can only imagine flying like a bird over the sea, let alone flying on an actual—oh, I am so sorry!  I must be annoying you, I'm just a simple motorman," Jisoo rambles nervously and she looks down at her feet.  

 

"No, it's okay, really," Yoongi says softly.  "I tend to be a great listener." 

 

Jisoo looks up and smiles at Yoongi.  _He's so nice_.  "Do you mind if we take the stairs?  It's only one floor up and—"  

 

Jisoo takes a step back, not realizing how close to the stairs she is when her foot catches on the bottom step and she begins to fall backward.

 

It's all happening in slow motion.  

 

She squeezes her eyes shut, blindly reaching for the railing when she feels an arm wrap around her waist.  She automatically grabs onto Yoongi's coat and opens her eyes to see him only inches away from her face.  Jisoo can feel the adrenaline radiating off of the both of them.  

 

Yoongi steps back and brings Jisoo with him.  Once they are upright he still doesn't let go of her. 

 

"Are you alright?" he gently asks.  

 

 _This is wrong, this is wrong, this is so wrong!_    

 

Jisoo lets go of her grip on the blonde man's coat and quickly takes a step back. 

 

"Yeah, thank you," she breathes as she adjusts her clothes.  "I'm not this clumsy, I promise...  Let's try the stairs again."  

 

They take the stairs up to floor B and stop in front of Yoongi's door.  

 

"This is it," Jisoo gestures towards the door and smiles.  "Sorry for the incident back there," she laughs as she hands Yoongi back his ticket.  "I usually don't talk this much to the guests, but you're really...approachable."  

 

"It is quite alright...  A-and thank you for helping me with my suitcase and showing me to my room," he pushes his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.    

 

Yoongi fishes through the pocket of his coat to get out the key to his room and fumbles with it, making it fall to the floor before he quickly rushes to pick it back up. 

 

Yoongi's cheeks start to color and Jisoo tries not to laugh. 

 

She notices how shaky his hands are but she says nothing about it.  Jisoo patiently watches as Yoongi unlocks his room to make sure his key works. 

 

When Yoongi pulls down on the handle and lightly pushes the door open, she starts to turn in her boots to leave before she feels something soft and clammy wrap around her wrist.  

 

"W-Will I see you around?" he asks.  "On the ship, I mean."  

 

"Um, yeah," she says as she looks at the hand on her wrist and Yoongi releases his hold.  Jisoo tries not to look disappointed at the loss of warmth.  "My schedule was a bit different today, but I usually work early mornings, so I'm free from around noon."  

 

"Okay," Yoongi says quietly as he pushes the door open a little more.  "I-I never caught your name," he says.  

 

"Jisoo.  Kim Jisoo."  

 

"It was very nice meeting you, Kim Jisoo," Yoongi smiles and he disappears into his room before Jisoo can tell him the same.   

 

When Yoongi's door closes with a soft thud, Jisoo runs to the stairwell at the end of the hall, silently screaming in her head.  She rests her back against the wall and thinks of why in the world she is so attracted to Min Yoongi, a man she's just met.   

 

Jisoo suddenly feels the sensation of cool metal appear in her hand.  She brings her compass into view, seeing it pointing down the hallway she just came from. 

 

Jisoo never really think about her compass. She never has time to, especially when she's been taking care of her father and her brother all these years. 

 

Sure, the idea of following her compass has passed her mind a few times when she turned eighteen, but it's rare and people usually end up with someone that isn't their soulmate.  

 

 _But why now?_ Jisoo asks herself.

 

She thickly swallows and follows the needle.  Every step Jisoo takes makes her compass vibrate more and more against her hand. 

 

She almost drops it out of fear because she has never experienced her doing this before.   

 

Jisoo walks until she ends up where she ran from, the compass's needle pointing right at Yoongi's door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**NAMJOON**

 

_There's a soft knock on Namjoon's door._

_"Um, sir?"_

_Namjoon turns toward the sound and looks over his glasses to a boy standing outside of this open door.  "Oh, Good morning, Jisoo," Namjoon happily greets as he closes the book in his hands and walks over to the doorway._

_Jisoo nervously fixes her cap and stands up a little straighter.  "Sorry to disturb you, but Captain Kim kindly requests that you come to the deck to join him for afternoon tea."_

_"Sure," Namjoon smiles, "Let me fetch my coat and we'll be on our way."_

_"I still don't understand why your room is on the same level as mine when you're the man that made this ship," Jisoo says as she leads Namjoon to the elevator at the end of the hall.  "Shouldn't you be on the same floor as the Captain?"_

_Namjoon ducks head as he lightly laughs.  "Hey, let me be humble.  Plus, I help with repairs wherever I'm needed, which are mostly on the bottom level of the ship anyway."_

 

_"And we are so thankful for your services," Jisoo jokes as she pushes a button to call the elevator._

 

_They stand in a comfortable silence as the elevator lowers to their floor._

_Namjoon starts to feel his compass climb in temperature as it softly begins to vibrate against the thick material of his trousers._

 

_The elevator's doors open with a soft ping, revealing an unimpressed Solbin with her arms crossed over her chest, leaning against the back wall of the elevator._

_Namjoon is frozen in place, which goes unnoticed as another girl rushes into the elevator and happily wraps her arms around Solbin._

_"Sir, aren't you going to go in?" Jisoo asks with big eyes._

_"Uh, we can just take the next one," Namjoon quickly says._

_"Oh, hello Mr. Kim," Jinye unwraps her arms from her friend and politely bows._

 

_"Good afternoon, Jisoo," Jinye waves with a faint blush on her cheeks.  Jinye side-eyes Solbin before she elbows Solbin in her side._

_Solbin glares at Jinye before she quickly bows, "Yes, um.  Good afternoon."_

_"Hey, Jinye," Jisoo waves as she enters the elevator with a bright smile._

_Namjoon nods his head at the girls before he quietly shuffles next to Jisoo._

_"You are so gross," Solbin mutters under breath towards Jinye._

_"What?" Jinye half-wines.  "I was just saying hello to these very handsome men," she hops on her toes._

_She leans back against the wall of the elevator with a sigh.  "As I was saying before you ran all the way back to our room to powder your nose, the answer is no.  I am not looking for my soulmate.  What's the point?  I mean, why can't I love who I want to love or stay single if I want?  I'm only nineteen, I have my whole life ahead of me.  Why should I drop everything I have to rely on a piece of metal to tell me who to love?" Solbin spits.  "I hate the idea of it."_

_Namjoon coughs into the inside of his arm and adjusts his glasses.  His hands are clammy.  He just got his heart broken and he hasn't even gotten to say a simple hello to his soulmate yet._

_"I just think it's romantic," Jinye says dismissively._

_"You think a man carrying your luggage to your room is romantic when he is just doing his job," Solbin counters, reminding Jinye of the day she ran into Jisoo and made the motorman carry her suitcase to her room while she flirted with Jisoo the whole time._

_"Oh my God, close your mouth!  I swear it's like you have been on your menstrual nonstop."_

_Jisoo suddenly sputters and makes herself look busy by pointing at the buttons on the wall while Namjoon steps towards the front of the elevator, praying for the doors to quickly open as questions why he arranged for his room to be at the bottom of the ship._

 

 

Namjoon looks up from his half-eaten steak to admire his ship. 

 

He takes a sip of wine and smiles at his creation because he knows he's the best naval architect in the country.   

 

The walls are tall and sturdy against the strong currents of the of water, the stained windows are inviting in the warmth of the evening sun before it embraces the stark light of the moon during the night, the lights of handcrafted chandeliers make the room swim in hues of yellow and ivory, and the dark red of the carpeted floors soak in the footsteps of new and returning guests.   

 

He can hear the telltale signs of silverware and fine china clinking together, people enjoying their food and asking for more drinks to get unashamedly drunk on, couples are passing by other couples with the politest  _excuse me's_ , and the lingering glances that open doors to closed secrets that always make it back home from the long romantic nights out at sea.  

 

Namjoon's dark brown eyes meticulously rake over the interior of the ballroom one last time before his attention is swept away like it is every around this time on Friday nights. 

 

He gently puts down his fork and knife to gather a cloth handkerchief to wipe at his mouth and quickly writes down some potential ideas for his next cruise ship model when it gets more and more difficult to his handwriting against the white of the paper as the lights begin to dim.   

 

A blonde man is hurriedly walking to his seat only to bump into Namjoon, knocking his pen and leather pocketbook out of his lap.  Namjoon kindly pardons the man and reaches down to pick up his belongings, briefly pausing when he realizes his compass has fallen out of his pocket too. 

 

His eyes widen a fraction and he hastily picks it up before he shoves it deep into his trousers to keep himself from looking at it because his compass is always pointing to—

 

"Good evening, everyone.  My name is Jung Hoseok and it is a pleasure to meet you," the pianist says as he smiles and bows.   

 

The last of the chandeliers hanging above fade into darkness and the only sources of light in the room come from the small oil lamps dimly lighting the dining tables and the big spotlight illuminating the stage.   

 

"On behalf of the ship's crew and the _overly_  handsome Captain Kim Seokjin," the pianist, Hoseok, playfully says while the guests laugh and he pauses to look up at the ship's captain sitting in the balcony, "We kindly welcome you to the Captain's dinner on the S.S. Tang." 

 

The pianist's eyes confidently travel the room as the crowd gives an applause. 

 

"Tonight we have a special guest—well, she's not that special because she sings here very frequently," Hoseok rasps and the crowd joins in with light laughter again.  

 

Namjoon breathes in and his world slows.  His eyes can make out her form against the darkness before she even walks into the light.  

 

"Please help me welcome the beautiful and the lovely, Ahn Solbin," the Hoseok says as he bows once again before he makes his way back to his piano and the crowd cheers as Solbin gracefully walks downstage.  

 

Every time Namjoon sees Solbin walk onto the stage it's like he's seeing her walk into his life for the very first time.  He's been seeing her grace his presence ever since August, but it always feels like the first of the year when she appears. 

 

Namjoon knows he's hidden in the contrast of the spotlight, he doesn't shy away from looking at Solbin like he usually does.  This is the only time of the week he can openly admire her for all she's worth.   

 

[Gold](https://78.media.tumblr.com/0d59bc2012ae32635811f40551a59226/tumblr_p6smo4M8wv1wyn32ko9_400.jpg), Namjoon whispers in his mind, because Solbin is dressed in a gold evening gown tonight like she truly knows her value. 

 

Her gown is very flattering due to the low neckline and Namjoon loves it, so he takes his time to marvel at her smooth collarbones and the way her long hair glides down her shoulders as she gently wraps one of her gloved hands around the mic stand.  

 

A high sultry whistle sounds through the ballroom and it takes everything in Namjoon to not turn his eyes from Solbin to glare at whoever just cat-called her.  A slight smile plays on Solbin's red lips as she smooths her dark hair behind one of her ears.    

 

Namjoon knows he felt his jaw drop earlier and now he swears he's drooling.  He blindly reaches for his handkerchief, but never he takes his eyes off Solbin because he doesn't want to miss a thing. 

 

Never has Namjoon seen a woman so beautiful. 

 

Never has Namjoon been so captivated. 

 

Never has Namjoon not hated the idea of a compass pointing to soulmate you helplessly can't help but follow.  

 

Solbin leans into the microphone and looks over her shoulder to the man sitting behind the white piano. 

 

"Last week you said I was the _most_ beautiful and the  _most_ lovely," she scoffs jokingly.  "What happened between now and then, Mr. Jung?" she says as she rests a hand on her hip. 

 

The crowd roars in laughter while the pianist raises his hands in playful surrender.   

 

Namjoon cracks a smile in his seat.    

 

Solbin turns back to the crowd with a quiet hum and moves the hand that was on her hip down to rest at her side. 

 

"I bet you're all wondering what the band and I will perform tonight.  It is a new one, but a very sad one," she says as her eyes float across the room.  "Everyone goes through a heartbreak or two, right?  So why not sing about it?"  Solbin starts to count off the beat to give the band and the backup singers their cue.  

 

Namjoon has seen this same scene orchestrate itself for the last three months, ever since his new cruise ship first set sail on the waters right outside of Busan.  

 

 _Where are you?  Where are you?_   

 

Ever since the first time he quietly watched Solbin rehearse for her show from the back of the ballroom.  

 

 _I just keep getting nervous_   

 

Ever since his stupid compass told him Solbin is his soulmate.  

 

 _I hate you, I love you_   

 

Ever since he heard Solbin say she doesn't believe in the idea of soulmates.  

 

_I'm alone again..._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**SOLBIN**

 

_Solbin is brought out of her deep thoughts when she hears a long exaggerated sigh coming from beside her._

_Solbin barely has time to write lyrics anymore since she has been juggling a tiring job and a very needy boyfriend.  They both aren't particularly fond of the idea of soulmates, so they had no problem going on dates and officially becoming a couple._

_They met in a little cafe Solbin works at.  She was busy making her rounds when she accidentally bumped into Daejung, spilling his dark coffee all over his ivory suit.  He smoothly told her to not worry about it, that he could easily get another suit, and wear it to their date if she wanted._

 

_Solbin said yes and the rest is history._

_Daejung is handsome and has money and a nice car, but Solbin was attracted to his personality, and everything else was just a bonus to her._

_Things have been going well between the last couple of months, but now it's all going downhill.  Lately, Daejung has been so possessive and verbally abusive ever since Solbin started taking gigs at various restaurants and bars two months ago._

_”What are you doing, Solbin?” he questions.  ”I swear you always have your nose shoved into that notebook of yours,” Daejung snatches her book out of her hands.  ”Why don't you pay attention to me anymore, huh?  Have you forgotten that I am your boyfriend?  Is whatever you are writing in here worth more to you than me?”_

_Solbin knows they're getting looks from people walking by, so she keeps her eyes locked on the pen she clenching on in her hand._

_”You said wanted to spend the day at this ship port like we did last week.  So I bring you here and you treat me like this?” he scoffs._

_”I'm sorry, I'm just—I didn't have time yesterday to finish this song and I really need to finish it while it is still in my head," she lies._

 

_She's really just doodling in her book to pass the time and get rid of the butterflies in her stomach._

_A week ago, Solbin auditioned to be a performer on the S.S. Tang.  She went into the audition thinking she wouldn't make it, but it wouldn't hurt to try._

 

_Just a few days ago Solbin somehow managed to get a letter from the people she auditioned for, telling her that she earned a spot to be a vocalist on the ship._

_"Please, Daejung,” Solbin motions for her notebook in his hand, ”Can I have that back?”_

_Daejung looks into Solbin’s pleading eyes for a few seconds before he softens and sets her notebook on the other side of him._

_Solbin’s insides burn as he scoots closer to her on the bench to wrap his arms around her._

_”Why don't you give up that singing stuff and just pay attention to me, hm?” he places a light kiss on her neck._

_I don't want to give up singing, Solbin wants to say.  She also wants to tell him how much of a jerk he has been the last few weeks, but she doesn't want to start a scene._

 

_”You know I don't like showing too much affection in public,” she huffs._

_”Fine,” he says as he unwraps arms from around her and sighs.  ”You have been so distant lately and I don't like it.  Will you actually talk to me if I give you your notebook back?”_

 

_Solbin nods and Daejung returns her notebook back to her lap._

 

 _He looks down at the suitcase by her feet,_ _”And what is that for anyway?”_

_”What time is it?” she asks instead._

_His eyebrows furrow as he pulls out his pocket watch.  ”11:30.  Why—,” he says as he's cut off by a ship's horn sounding through the air._

_”I'm leaving,” Solbin says simply as she rises to her feet and picks up her suitcase, knuckles straining against her skin from how hard she's squeezing the handle._

 

_She had prepared a whole speech her boyfriend upon departure, but she's forgotten it all now because of her nerves._

_”What are you talking about, you're leaving?” his voice growing more irritated with every word._

_Solbin turns to Daejung, ”I am getting on that ship and following my dream!  I didn't tell you to bring me here just so we could spend time together, I made you bring me here because you were my only ride and—”_

_”Excuse me?” Daejung rises to his feet, his height towering over Solbin.  ”So you were planning this all along?  What about me?  Are you seriously just going to drop me to chase after some silly dream?  You must have forgotten who I am, I can give you everything.”_

_Solbin looks down at her feet.  ”I-I want to break up.  I don't have feelings for you anymore and you don't support my dreams like my family does, so I'm leav—”_

_"No.  You're not going anywhere,” Daejung says as he grabs at her wrist and pulls hard._

_”Let go!" Solbin hisses at the contact, dropping her suitcase to pry herself out of Daejung's grip.  "You're hurting me!”_

_He cocks his head and tuts his tongue, "You have been talking back to me a lot lately."_

_Just as Daejung raises a hand to hit her.  Solbin squeezes her eyes shut and braces herself for the oncoming pain, but instead, she hears a loud smack and a thud on the ground before she opens her eyes._

_The sight of her ex-boyfriend lying on the ground with a bleeding nose almost makes her happy._

_”Are you okay?” a man asks he rings out the hand that he just punched Daejung with, his eyes full of concern._

_”Yeah—I mean, uh, yes," Solbin breathes as she wipes a stray tear from her cheek with the back of her hand.  "Um, thank you,”_

_She quickly moves to gather her belongings and starts walking towards the ramp leading into the S.S. Tang._

_”Yah, you wrench!” Daejung seethes as wipes at the blood pooling on his lips.  “If you get on that boat, you can forget about us!  No one is going to love you like I do!”_

_Solbin stops at his words. She looks down at the compass in her palm, seeing that it's pointing towards the ship.  She smiles sadly._

 

_“That's what I'm hoping,” she whispers as she steps into the busy crowd._

 

 

Solbin bows at the applause after she finishes the last lyrics of her song. 

 

”I hope you all have a good night and please keep warm during your stay on the S.S. Tang,” she says with a small smile.  ”The band will continue playing shortly.”  

 

Solbin makes her way backstage.  Once she's in the dressing room, she walks over to her vanity and slumps in a chair.  She hears another round of applause roll through the walls as the band starts to play another song. 

 

Solbin finally got to sing a song she wrote, but sharing her feelings in a dark room full of strangers doesn't change how she feels right now.  She's no stranger when it comes to feeling empty, but for some reason, it's starting to become overwhelming.    

 

Solbin turns in her seat, silently taking off her gloves and the necklace weighing down her neck.  She removes her earrings before she runs a hand through her hair, brushing some stray hairs away from her face and she looks at herself in the mirror.    

 

 

 _"No one is going to love you like I do!"_     

 

 

Solbin winces at the memory and slams her hand on the table.  She lifts her hand her from its surface, only to be met with a round compass resting in her palm. 

 

She scowls at the metal and storms out of the dressing room, not bothering to put on a coat as she makes her way out outside to the deck.  The cold air is harsh on her cheeks as she pushes the door open, but her anger keeps her going forward.   

 

She reaches her destination and wraps her free hand around the railing and looks over the edge to see water rippling softly off of the belly of the ship. 

 

The ship is anchored down for the night and the air is quiet.  Solbin glances over her shoulder to see that she's alone, save for the few crew members making their rounds around the ship.  

 

She looks down at the compass in her hand thinks about all the inner turmoil it has brought her.  Solbin doesn't entertain the concept of finding true love because her parents aren't soulmates. 

 

Her parents met in their thirties.  They were growing older and were getting worried that they would never find their soulmates.  They found each other at a bar when the feeling of being lonely got the best of them. 

 

Solbin thinks of herself as the product of her parent's drunken mistake even though her parents repeatedly tell her otherwise.  They tried to make things work for their newborn daughter for a short while, but they found their own soulmates and built new lives and families around Solbin. 

 

The whole situation gives her anxiety over seeing the lack of control people have over their lives because of a compass.  

 

Solbin has always wondered if everyone really finds their soulmate.  

 

 _What if they live on the other side of the world?  What if they speak another language?  What if they don't love each other?  Why can't I find someone I love on my own?  Why is a person automatically chosen for me and I can't choose for myself?_    

 

Solbin has tried her hand at finding love on her own and not relying on her compass, and it has led her into too many useless relationships and brokenhearted. 

 

Her compass stays out of sight most of the time because she barely thinks about it and has never really relied on it.  

 

Tears well in her eyes at the thought of giving up control and letting her compass guide her, but then again she doesn't want to because she's so scared of the unknown variables that come it.   

 

Solbin lifts the hand holding her compass and attempts to throw it overboard.  She watches her compass obey the laws of gravity and disappear into the ocean with a small splash. 

 

The compass reappears in her hand and she throws it again, this time her compass doesn't even make it the water before it finds itself back in hand her once more.   

 

Solbin keeps throwing the metal out her grasp, each time making her cry even more.  She lifts her arm for last time, burning from overexertion when warm fingers softly clasp around her wrist.  

 

”Your compass will always return to you when you feel like you've lost it,” a man calmly says.  "It will always be with you as long as you are thinking about it."  

 

Solbin blinks as she pulls her hand out the man's hold and turns to look at him.  ”Yeah?  And how do you know?” she says angrily.  

 

”Just from observation,” the man says as he looks down at his feet.  ”And I attempted the same thing you were just doing a few months ago—in this same spot actually.”  

 

Solbin looks the man up and down, sizing him up just in case he gets the idea to try anything with her.  She begins to notice that her compass is struggling against her hand and she looks at it, the black needle pointing away from her and towards the person in front of her. 

 

Solbin gasps and snaps her head up, noticing the man is following her movements.  She quickly moves the compass behind her back and tears begin to well in her eyes.  

 

 _This cannot be happening_. 

 

Solbin begins to say something when she's cut off.  

 

”You don't have to say anything... I-I have known for a little now,” he says as he shows her his compass.   

 

The man's compass is visibly vibrating in his grasp, and the needle is pointing straight at her.  Solbin’s eyes go wide. 

 

”I didn't come and find you to force you into anything, I just wanted to see if you were okay.  You looked very sad after singing that song and I just...” the man scratches the back of his neck before he shrugs off his coat.

 

He slowly moves forward to place his coat on Solbin's shoulders and steps back when his coat is resting comfortably on her. 

 

”I was contemplating more than just throwing my compass overboard at the time.”  

 

Solbin doesn't know what to say.   _Did I make him feel that way?_   

 

The man sighs.  ”Um, you probably want space, so...” he takes another step back and Solbin almost follows.  ”Please don't stay out here too long.  No need to fall ill when you have another show tomorrow night...  And I like hearing you sing.  You have a very lovely voice.”   

 

Solbin’s eyes run over his sunken features and she wants so badly to say sorry, but her voice isn't working at the moment.  

 

”My name is Namjoon, in case you wanted to know,” he says softly, and with one last look at Solbin, he leaves. 

 

Solbin falls to her knees as soon as Namjoon goes through the door and she cries.  Her compass lies on the ground before her, losing life as her soulmate walks further away from her and into the ship. 

 

She feels so worthless and Namjoon deserves so much more than her.  He almost killed himself because of her. 

 

How could he ever love someone like her when she can't even love herself? 

 

Solbin runs her fingers over the material of the coat resting on her shoulders and she shivers.  She stands to her feet and moves to do the only thing she can do when she feels this low. 

 

Drink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**YERI**

 

Kim Yeri deeply sighs. 

 

She places her hands on her hips and glares at the evening gown laying on top of her bed.    

 

“Yeri, stop standing there in your undergarments and let the maid help you put on your evening gown.  Now."  

 

Yeri turns to her mother who is sitting in front of a mirror putting on some jewelry.  "Mother, we just got on this ship a few hours ago.  How about you go to dinner and I stay in bed tonight, hm?" she desperately asks.  "I'm not even hungry."  Right after that statement, Yeri's stomach decides to deceive her with a low growl.

 

Her mother turns in her seat with a bored expression.  "Why are you suddenly acting this way?  Taehyung and his family are waiting for us.  We already discussed this.  We are both going to the Captain's dinner tonight and you will behave," she says sternly. 

 

Her mother gestures for the maid to start tightening her daughter's corset.  

 

Yeri faces back towards the bed and rolls her eyes, bracing her hands on either side of one of the bedposts.  "Yes, mother," her breath hitches as the maid pulls against the strings. 

 

Strings being tied together is the only thing that sounds through the room before Yeri's mother speaks again.  "Yeri.  Is there anything you want to tell me," she says more like a statement than a question."

 

"What do you mean, Mother?"

 

"Don't play dumb.  I saw you with your compass the other day."

 

Yeri closes her eyes as the maid tightens the strings on her corset.  It's like her mother knows everything.  

 

"You know better, Yeri.  I thought you grew out of that stage.  Hoping to find your soulmate is pointless," she says as she watches the maid help Yeri slip into her dress.  "You have Taehyung now.  Aren't you happy with him?"

 

"I am," Yeri sighs.  She really is happy with him.

 

"Then there shouldn't be a problem," her mother rises from her seat.  She walks over to Yeri and dismisses the maid from Yeri's room. 

 

Her mother begins adjusting her [dress](https://retro-stage.com/products/1920s-sequin-art-deco-maxi-dress?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwtfe5fDw3AIVkbrACh1b6gmqEAQYBSABEgLafPD_BwE&variant=8932863115313), smoothing out any bunched-up material. 

 

"You know your father and I aren't soulmates.  We were brought together in an arranged married to merge our family's companies, and that is the same thing that is happening here.  I learned to love your father with time, so remove the idea of finding your soulmate from your mind."  

 

Yeri has nothing to say. 

 

She silently watches as her mother slips long gloves over Yeri's arms.  Her mother exists the room with a final warning to meet her downstairs, but it runs deaf to Yeri's ears.

 

She moves over to her vanity table and sits before the mirror.  Yeri finds her engagement ring and picks it up, slowly twirling the metal between her index finger and thumb before she places it on her finger. 

 

Her mind runs blank as she slides her makeup bag towards her and she begins putting on her foundation.  Yeri looks no different than she did this morning, but she definitely feels different. 

 

She glances at her compass when it suddenly appears on the table.  She flinches at the sight of it, making her almost smudge her lipstick on the side of her mouth. 

 

Yeri hasn't gotten a good look at her compass since the day it appeared in her hands on her eighteenth birthday.  She almost smiles through her frown if it weren't for her childhood being overshadowed by her being taught to literally forget about her compass.

 

Yeri grew up on the love of her father, the sternness of her mother, and the fairy-tales told by her favorite nanny, which always included people finding their happily-ever-after with their soulmate. 

 

She has been longing for her happily ever after ever since her eighteenth birthday, when her own compass appeared in the palm of her hand.    

 

 

_A six-old-Yeri wraps her small arms around her father's waist and looks up at him with the biggest eyes.  He smiles down at her with all the love in the world._

_"Do you really have to go?  You and mommy left last weekend, too," she whines._

_"I'm so sorry, honey, but we do have to go," her father says as he reaches down to pick her up.  "Your mother and I have to go on business trips in order to keep food on the table.  You don't want an empty tummy, do you?" he asks he tickles her._

_"Daddy, no!" she screams and giggles, reaching for his hands to make him stop._

_"My little Yeri is so pretty when she smiles," her father says softly.  "We are going back to Japan this time.  Would you like me to bring back your favorite Japanese candies?"_

_"Yes, please!"_

_A honk sounds from outside the door and Yeri's father turns to see his wife waving for him to come join her in their car.  Yeri's father gently sets Yeri down on her feet and she begins to frown._

_"We'll be back before you know it, honey," her father says as he kisses her cheek.  He makes his exit, leaving Yeri in the hallway._

_A warm hand pets Yeri's head.  "Would you like to hear a story, Miss Yeri?" her nanny asks._

_Yeri briefly nods.  "Can it be a new one this time?"_

_"Of course," she holds onto Yeri's small hand, leading them to the recliner in Yeri's bedroom.  "What should it be about this time?" she asks as she settles into a recliner._

_"A princess," Yeri says quietly as her nanny lifts her to sit on her lap._

_The nanny brings Yeri's head to her chest and begins to rock them both in the chair.  "Once upon a time, there was a princess with very long black hair."_

_"Like mine?" Yeri asks._

_"Just like yours," the nanny smiles.  "This princess lived on a big ship with her family, but she was very lonely."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because she was looking for her one true love, her soulmate.  Her family traveled for many days on the ship, her parents were trying to find the right suitor for their daughter to marry.  But for every kingdom they traveled to, the princess would turn down every prince because they weren't her soulmate."_

_"What happens next?" Yeri questions, clearly getting invested in the story._

_"The family travels to another kingdom," her nanny answers, "But during their stay, their ship breaks down and is in need of repair, so they have to stay there longer than planned."_

 

 

Yeri enters the ballroom twenty minutes after her mother leaves to join the table of the family Yeri is arranged to marry into. 

 

She looks around the large ballroom for her mother and spots her happily chatting with the elders of the table.  Yeri swiftly makes her way to the table, politely bowing to the naval architect of the ship as she passes him—her mother made sure to properly greet him when they first boarded the cruise ship—and stands beside her mother.  

 

"We were wondering when you would show up," she says over her shoulder, earning light laughter from the table. 

 

"Yeri," Taehyung calls.  "I have a seat saved for you."  

 

The whole table coos at Taehyung, making Yeri lower her head slight bashfulness and she moves to sit in her seat.  The table comes back to life with chatter and Yeri keeps her head down, fiddling with her gloved fingers. 

 

She hears the man beside her clear his throat and feels him move in his chair to face her.  

 

"How long has it been?  A week or almost two, maybe, since I last saw you," Taehyung says softly.  "How have you been?"

 

Yeri internally winces. 

 

She had been accepting of their arranged marriage up until two weeks ago, resulting in her avoiding Taehyung in order to clear her head.  Taehyung is so sweet and almost everything she could ask for in a man, but he's not her soulmate. 

 

Her compass suddenly came back to life as soon as they got on the ship and she felt as if a string was tugging on her entire being.  She doesn't know what to do.  Taehyung and Yeri have been dating for so long that they know each other like the back of their hands.

 

"I've been okay," she sighs and she reaches down into his lap to place her hand inside of his.  "I've just had a lot on my mind recently." She gives him an earnest smile as she gives a small squeeze to his hand.

 

He fondly smiles at her and squeezes her hand back.  "Good.  I was worried you were getting cold feet.  Especially with the wedding being so close and all."

 

"No, no," Yeri reassures him.  "Nothing like that."

 

Taehyung's thumb gently plays with the diamond ring resting on Yeri's left ring finger, "I can tell something is bothering you, but we can talk about it after, okay?"

 

Taehyung can see right through her.  "Okay," Yeri replies.  She's not ready to have this conversation. 

 

Silence rests between them and Yeri watches as Taehyung fully links their hands together.  The feeling is his skin is nice to her, but something feels off tonight.

 

"It is good to see you tonight, Miss Yeri," Taehyung's father speaks up.

 

Yeri smiles at him.  "It is nice to see you as well," she slightly bows her head to Taehyung's parents.

 

"Is it alright to ask where your father is?" Taehyung asks.  "I was hoping he would be here."   

 

"My father had a little accident right before we were getting ready to leave.  He slipped and fell, badly spraining his ankle, so he couldn't make it."  Yeri looks across the table at her mother, "Mother and I wanted to stay back and take care of him, but he didn't want the tickets to go to waste."

 

"Oh, I'm sorry about your father."

 

"He'll be alright," Yeri tells him.  "He's already invited you to go golfing with him on the first day of spring," she laughs.

 

"He only invites me because he knows I am terrible at the sport," Taehyung chuckles.  "That man and his obsession with golf."

 

"Hey, you almost beat him last time."

 

"Only because you were there cheering me on," he grins.

 

Yeri brightly smiles at that.  "I want to come to watch you two play more often," she says.  "The girls think it is boring, but I find it entertaining."

 

"You'll be my wife when you come to watch this next time," Taehyung replies happily and Yeri blushes.  "Promise you'll be my little cheerleader again?" he asks confidently as he holds out his pinky finger. 

 

"Okay," Yeri agrees softly. 

 

She wraps her own small pinky around his larger one and they lock it to seal the deal. 

 

 

 

"Father, mother, and Mrs. Kim," Taehyung calls across the table after they finish eating.  "We seem to have some time before the night ends.  Would you mind if I took Yeri for a short walk?"  

 

"Of course not, dear," Yeri's mother speaks up.  "Take all the time in the world.  This whole occasion is for you two to be together."  

 

Yeri and Taehyung rise from their seats and bow to their parents before they leave their parents at the table.

 

"A walk?" Yeri says as Taehyung wraps an arm around her lower back.  "It is far too cold to be outside at this time of night, Tae."  

 

“I know," he tells her.  "I heard there's a party for the younger people downstairs,” Taehyung says as he ushers them out of the ballroom.  “You know my parents aren't fond of me going to parties unless they are the ones hosting them.  Plus, I feel like that will be more interesting and fun than sitting with the elderly, won't you agree?” he jokes.

 

Yeri lightly laughs as they walk into a quiet hallway.  "I think you just wanted to be alone with me," she remarks.

 

Taehyung gently presses Yeri against the wall.  Her breath hitches as Taehyung runs the tip of his nose along her cheek and lightly brushes it against the cartilage of her ear.  "And what if that is what I want?" he deeply challenges.

 

A small smile pulls on the corners of Yeri's mouth as she slips her arms around her fiance's neck and leans up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips.

 

Taehyung wraps his around Yeri's waist and kisses her deeper until she pulls back, giving him a multiple of quick pecks all over his face before he starts to chuckle.

 

Yeri rests her back on the wall and rubs her hands over the material of Taehyung's dinner coat.  "Let's get to that party you mentioned earlier.  I have yet to be around people my own age."

 

They make their way to a lower level of the ship and they both are met with a scene full of vibrant live music, dancing people, and the strong smell of beer and cheap cigars. 

 

The heavy scents in the air might not be to Yeri’s liking, but she sees the bright smiles on the people's faces and the loud chatter flowing through the atmosphere   

 

“Shall we dance?” Yeri happily asks. 

 

Taehyung nods and they make their way to the middle of the floor where the crowd is dancing.  Yeri rests a hand on Taehyung's shoulder as he places his hand on her lower back while the other takes her hand in his.   

 

"This is nice," Yeri says as they begin to dance with the music.  The song being played isn't too upbeat or too slow, but just slow enough so they can sway comfortably

 

Taehyung hums in agreement.  He looks down at Yeri and kisses her forehead.

 

Something vibrates against Yeri's chest, but she ignores it, thinking the sensation is due to the loud music resonating in her rib cage.  She can also feel a pair of eyes on her.

 

Yeri turns to look over her shoulder to see who is staring at her when she suddenly hears the music briefly stop and switch to a very upbeat song.  The crowd starts to clap and holler, dancing faster to match the beat of the music.  

 

Before Yeri can get a good look at the person, she's being pulled away from Taehyung to dance with a hefty bearded man with a wide grin.  Yeri looks back to the center of the room to see Taehyung with a busty woman that's very eager to dance with him. 

 

Taehyung catches Yeri's eyes and she gives him a playful raised eyebrow.  He laughs loudly at Yeri's mock-jealousy before he begins dancing with the other woman.  The dancing is different from what she's used to, but she is loving the quick pace.  

 

The man Yeri is holding onto spins her out of his embrace and brings her back into him with a loud laugh.  Yeri smells the beer on his breath, but she can't help but smile because she feels so free at this very moment.    

 

 

 _"So every day," the nanny says she combs her fingers through Yeri's hair, "The princess waits by the sea.  Not wanting to stay in the kingdom, but also looking for her soulmate...  Until one day, she does.”_     

 

 

The man repeats the same move, but this time Yeri is pulled into the arms of another man, her previous dance partner long forgotten as she looks up.    

 

 

 _"Who does she see?" a young Yeri desperately asks._     

 

 

Everything around them fades away as Yeri tightens her hold on his biceps while he moves his hands from the small of her back to each side of her hips.   

 

His hair slightly matted to his head from the body heat accumulating in the room.  His shirt is missing its top three buttons and Yeri doesn't know whether to stare at his defined chest, his plush lips, or his doe-like eyes.   

 

She is brought back to reality when a drunk woman bumps into them, pushing her further into the man's embrace.   Yeri reaches into the front of her tight corset, the man following movements as her fingers move against her cleavage. 

 

She pulls out her compass, finding that it is vibrating uncontrollably and the bar needle is repeatedly arranging itself to point to the man holding her.  

 

Yeri gasps and looks up, a hint of tears welling in her eyes.  "It's you," she breathes.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song(s) in this chapter:
> 
> 1) Where Are You? - CLC
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Lemme know what you think, I am very appreciative of feedback.
> 
> See you in the next chapter ~


	3. We're Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm more than glad that you're okay, but I-I think there is something else we need to discuss."
> 
> "Yeah, I guess we're soulmates."

 

 

 

 

 

**JUNGKOOK**

 

A little bit of alcohol and a whole lot of nervousness burns in Jungkook's belly.  His compass is haywire in his pant's pocket while the woman in front of him is barely managing to hold onto the compass in her hand.

 

It's almost like time has stopped as him and his newfound soulmate stare into each other's eyes.  The woman's eyes look somewhat scared, but her facial features almost look relieved.

 

Jungkook's eyes graze over the woman in front of him.  Her skin looks— _and feels_ —so soft. 

 

Without much thought, Jungkook runs his fingertips across the skin that isn't covered by the woman's long gloves and appreciates the way small goosebumps form in his wake. 

 

Her dark hair riddled with loose waves, almost mimicking the stillness of the ocean during the late hours of the night.  Her dress looks just as the sky looks right after midnight and it is stitched with sequins that reflect the soft light in the room. 

 

Her eyes cast back that same light, but they're almost glazed over with tears, and Jungkook probably looks as if he's about to cry too.

 

He truly never thought this moment would come.   _You are so_ _beautiful_ , Jungkook thinks to himself.

 

"T-thank you," the woman says bashfully before Jungkook realizes he just complimented her out loud. 

 

All too quickly, the woman slips her compass back into her corset and timidly steps back from Jungkook as she brushes some loose strands of hair away from her face.

 

Jungkook opens his mouth to ask for his soulmate's name but another man gently pulls her away from Jungkook's reach.

 

"I think," the man says politely with a tight grin on his face, "That is enough dancing for now.  The song is over." 

 

Jungkook clenches his jaw as the man slips his hand into hers.  Jungkook can't help the surge of jealousy that rushes over him.

 

"It's getting late, Yeri,"  the man says and Jungkook is relieved to finally hear his soulmates name.  "I'll walk you back to your room.  Our parents want us to meet them for breakfast in the morning," he turns, Jungkook is baffled that man didn't even acknowledge his presence, and starts to guide Yeri back into the crowd to find the exit.

 

Jungkook stands there, forgotten and longing for a person he's just met.  Whatever his heart is telling him, Jungkook wants to along with it.  He wants to after his soulmate, but it's obvious that she's with someone else. 

 

Before the couple disappears into the mass of bodies, Yeri turns her head just in time to catch Jungkook's eyes.  

 

He stands at the edge of the room until his compass grows still.

 

The loud ambiance of the room fades back in and Jungkook turns on his heel, making his way to the bar to drink himself drunk, but he quickly changes his mind and starts heading over to the exit to sleep off what he's feeling.

 

Jungkook stuffs his hand in his pockets, a sad whistled tune leaving his lips as he silently walks down the hallway to find an elevator.  He steps into the cabin once it's called and rides it down the shaft.  The elevator's doors open to his floor. 

 

He exits the cabin and is almost to his room when he is suddenly slammed against a wall.  ”Oh my God—”

 

”Who are you?” a woman slurs as she pokes Jungkook’s cheek.  "I haven't seen you around here before."  

 

”Well, this is my first time on this cruise ship,” he hurriedly explains.   

 

”The ship’s crew and performers stay on this floor," the woman huffs into Jungkook's face and he winces at the sharp smell of alcohol on her breath, "So which one are you?”  

 

”I-I’m a, uh,” Jungkook begins.  He quickly darts through his mind for an answer to give.  He can't say he's on the ship’s crew, but he quickly remembers he brought his guitar onto the ship with him.  ”I am a performer on the ship—yeah, a performer.  I...perform?”  

 

 _When have I ever performed?_   Sure, he can sing a little and he leisurely plays the guitar, but Jungkook plays for himself and he occasionally hums in the shower sometimes.  

 

There's a beat of silence between them and Jungkook wonders if the woman holding him in a very hostile way against the wall isn't going to take his bait when she bursts out into a fit of laughter. 

 

Jungkook tries to inch away from her grasp before the drunk woman grabs him by the shoulders and shoves him against the wall again.  ”She’s aggressive,” he whispers to himself.  

 

A pair of men walk by and Jungkook desperately mouths at them for help, but in return, he gets two thumbs up and a _somebody's gettin’ lucky tonight!_    

 

”Wow, you are so funny,” the woman says as she slaps his chest and Jungkook looks at her in shock.  ”You're cute, too.  Say, what's your name?”  

 

”I don't think you’ll remember if told you.”  

 

”How can I forget someone as handsome as—” the woman starts, and as if she's been taken over by the influence of a hypnotist's snap of the fingers, she closes her eyes and falls forward onto Jungkook’s chest with a soft thud.  

 

Jungkook stands distraught for a few seconds before he comes to the realization that woman isn't talking anymore. 

 

He lightly shakes her by her shoulders and he gets no response.  He tilts her backward to bring her face into view, making her neck recline on itself and she emits the loudest snore Jungkook has ever heard come out a woman. 

 

He has no idea what to do.  

 

”Oh my," a voice lightly laughs, "That's Solbin for you.”   

 

Jungkook looks over the woman's head, Solbin apparently, to see a man leaning on the opposite side of the hall with an amused look on his face.  

 

”She cannot handle alcohol,” he chuckles.  “A lightweight, really.”  

 

”Right,” Jungkook says flatly.  

 

“Are you two together?  Were you about to take her to your room?” the man questions.  

 

Jungkook begins to sputter against the wall.  “Oh my God, no—“ he chokes on his spit, letting go of Solbin in favor of coughing into his hand.  

 

The other man quickly steps forward to catch Solbin, securing his forearms underneath her armpits.  

 

“We are not together," Jungkook recovers as he points a shaky finger at the woman resting against the man’s chest.  "She literally jumped me as I was retreating to my room for the night!”  

 

The man throws his head back and laughs again, eyes turning into crescent moons.  “Sorry about that.  She can be aggressive when she's drunk.”  

 

“I-I’m...so... Sorry,” Solbin mumbles as the man adjusts his hold her.  

 

“I know which room she stays in.  You mind grabbing her legs?”  

 

“Um, okay,” Jungkook moves to grab to Solbin’s ankles and gently lifts.  

 

They start to make their way down the hallway before the man speaks again. 

 

“My name’s Park Jimin, by the way.  This is a very strange way to meet,” he smiles.  

 

“Jeon Jungkook,” he says with a curt nod.  ”And I couldn't agree more.”  

 

“So what do you do, Jeon Jungkook?  I’ve never seen you around on the ship before, or on this floor, more importantly.”  

 

“I’m a—,“ another loud snore rolls out of Solbin’s mouth and Jungkook winces at her.  “I’m a performer.  On the ship," he adds.  "I’m new, I guess.”  

 

”Oh!  We heard there was a new guy coming,” Jimin says with a bright grin.  ”The music director said something about adding an acoustic guitar to the band, so I guess you're it.”   

 

”Really?” Jungkook furrows his eyebrows.  

 

_How did they know I could the play guitar?_

 

”I mean—yeah, that's me...” he fixes his hold on Solbin ankles.  His palms are starting to sweat.  ”What instrument do you play, Jimin?”  

 

”Cello,” Jimin politely supplies.  ”Well, this is her room,” he nods his head towards the room number.  ”You can put her ankles done now, I've got the rest.”  

 

Jungkook quickly lets go of Solbin and she whines at the sudden movement.  He rubs his clammy hands on his trousers as Jimin pulls her into a standing position with an arm wrapped around her waist.  

 

”Well then, I'll see you tomorrow, Jungkook,” Jimin smiles.  "You can consider us friends."

 

Jungkook beams at the offer and nods his head. 

 

He's used to lying about his identity when he has to, but he has a lingering feeling that lying won't do him any good with the relationships he is starting to build on this boat.

 

”Oh, and don't forget we have practice in the main ballroom right after breakfast in the morning.”  

 

Jungkook remembers Yeri will be at breakfast and he needs to find a way to talk to her.  He blanches at the thought of missing his chance to see her again.  ”Um, how long does practice last?”  

 

”Usually until noon, sometimes we finish earlier than that,” Jimin answers.  "Why?  You got yourself a little date?" he asks cheekily.  

 

Blood rushes into Jungkook's cheeks and Jimin playfully coos at him before Jungkook can reply.  

 

"Don't worry, practice will be over before you know it.  Plus the pay is good, so you can buy your girl something nice," Jimin winks.  

 

Solbin mumbles something intelligible and Jimin takes that as his cue to get her into her room.  He moves to open her door and Jungkook gives him a strange look. 

 

"She keeps her door unlocked on Friday nights 'cause she knows she'll get drunk," Jimin automatically explains.  "I'll see you at breakfast, Jungkook.  The band usually sits together, so I'll save you a seat at our table!"  

 

"Okay," Jungkook says. 

 

"See you at breakfast."  

 

"Breakfast," Solbin cries in her sleep.  "Fried chicken."  

 

Jimin and Jungkook look at each other. 

 

"See you, Jungkook," he grunts as he lugs Solbin into her room.  

 

"See you," Jungkook says.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**NAMJOON**

 

Namjoon hears three faint knocks sound at his door.  

 

“Do you need anything, Sir?  Some water, perhaps?” a muffled voice calls.  

 

Namjoon rolls over with a deep sigh.  His chest feels itchy and his throat is so dry, but he barely pays any attention to it.  He just wants sleep right now. 

 

Namjoon’s eyes flutter shut and he doesn't bother to question why someone is at his door so late into the night.

 

 

 

"—swer the door!"  

 

Three more knocks sound at the door, this time louder than the first.  

 

”Yah, Kim Namjoon, I will not say it again. Open this door before I do so myself!  You know full well that I have a key that grants me access to every room on this ship and I shall not hesitate to use it!”  

 

"Goodness, who on earth are you right now?  Keep this up and you might as well wake the whole floor with all the racket you are causing, Seokjin!" a small female voice says.  "He must be sleeping so soundly.  Let's come back and check on him in a few hours when he is awake, hm?"  

 

Namjoon cracks an eye open at the conversation being had right outside his room before he looks over at the clock on the end table. 

 

It reads ten minutes till four a.m., which is too soon for the naval architect to awake this early in the morning. 

 

He reluctantly rolls out of bed to turn on a lamp, absently fixes his bed sheets with sleep-swollen eyes, and shuffles over to open the door only to be met with the ship's captain holding a key in the air with a determined look on his face.  

 

”You didn't have to threaten him like that, honey,” Jin's wife says as she moves from behind him.  ”Good morning, Namjoonie,” she says softly, "How are you feeling, dear?"

 

Namjoon briefly grins at the nickname and hums in acknowledgment.  "I'm okay," he says, leaning on the doorway.  

 

”I feel as if I am too nice to everyone,” Jin speaks as he crosses his arms over his chest, a heavy sigh leaving his lips.  ”I just wanted to try being authoritative for once, Sowon.”  

 

She gives him an amused look.  ”You are the captain of this ship, you have plenty of men at your every beck and call, what more do you want?”  

 

Namjoon’s eyes had closed halfway through the married couple's conversation and he jumps a little when feels a hand squeeze his bicep.  

 

”He really must not be feeling well,” concern lacing Sowon's voice.  

 

”He didn't even bother to put on a robe before answering the door,” Jin says as they both move to enter Namjoon’s room.  

 

"I am in the comfort of my own room," Namjoon mutters.  

 

”He smells of alcohol,” Jin remarks.  

 

"Seokjin," Sowon chides.  

 

Namjoon closes the door and makes his way to sit on the edge of his bed.  ”I only had two shots,” he whines.  ”And I didn't take a shower before bed.”  

 

Sowon settles beside Namjoon with her first aid kit and checks his temperature with the back of her hand on his forehead.  ”You're a little warm,” she hums.  

 

Namjoon coughs and the itchy feeling in his chest is back. 

 

”Can I ask why are you two here?” he asks.  

 

”We got a noise complaint from Mr. Jisoo next door,” Jin chuckles from across the room as takes a seat at Namjoon's desk.  ”Looks like you woke up a few of your neighbors with that cough of yours, son.”  

 

”I'm sorry.  I was coughing all night?” Namjoon asks.  

 

”There's no need to apologize, Joon.  It is so easy to catch a little illness at sea with this harsh winter weather, but that is what we were told.  Poor Jisoo was so worried when he came to our door.  Said he didn't want to get a nurse from the sickbay because he knows just how hostile they can be, so he asked if Sowon could come to see you,” Jin explains. ”You didn't answer when he came to your door earlier.”  

 

”Oh, so that's who that was,” Namjoon mumbles.  

 

Sowon pulls out a stethoscope from her kit.  ”I'm going to use this on you.  Can you lift your shirt a little for me?  This might be a little cold.”  

 

Namjoon winces at the cool metal against his skin.  ”You always treat me as if I am a child.”  

 

”Well, you are younger than us,” Jin says.  

 

”By ten years,” Namjoon counters, "We're all adults here."  

 

”Jin and I agreed that you're kind of like our baby,” Sowon fondly smiles at him.  

 

”But you already have a child,” Namjoon groans.  "An eight-year-old, who you left alone in your suite upstairs."  

 

”Can't deny that,” Jin agrees.  "Sowon, we might need to make this quick," he says as he looks at his watch.  "You know that boy likes to sleepwalk around this time in the morning."  

 

Sowon moves to press the stethoscope against Namjoon’s back.  ”Can you take a deep breath for me?”  

 

"How has your father been, Joon?  It has been a while since I last asked you," Jin says.  "You mentioned that you visited him recently."  

 

Namjoon begins to inhale when he suddenly bends over and bursts into a coughing fit. 

 

Sowon rubs his back until he can find the air to breathe again. 

 

Namjoon feels something tickle the back of his throat, but he swallows down the feeling.  "It gets worse every time," he clears his throat, "He forgets more of me with every visit.  I am beginning to tell him that I am nothing but a volunteer that randomly visits patients at the hospital," Namjoon says solemnly.  

 

"I am so sorry," Jin says with sadness in his eyes.  

 

"Everything is alright," Namjoon coughs.  He doesn't know if he's replying to Jin or trying to convince himself.  "We said our goodbyes a long time ago."  

 

Sowon pulls Namjoon's shirt down and rests her stethoscope in her lap.  ”Can you tell me your symptoms and when they started?” Sowon asks.  

 

”My chest,” Namjoon breathes in to stifle another cough, ”It feels very itchy."  He racks his brain for an answer of when he started to feel this way, but honestly can't remember what happened after his encounter with Solbin.  ”I guess it started last night, since I went outside for a few minutes after dinner yesterday, and according to what you said after hearing from Jisoo.  I didn't really notice it until you two came.”  

 

”This might be the start of a chest cold,” Sowon says as she digs into the first aid kit.  She places a small dark bottle into Namjoon’s hand.  ”This is cough syrup.  It will help with the coughing and alleviate the itchiness in your chest, but if it persists, you may need to visit the sickbay...  And I am truly sorry about your father, Namjoon.  If I could do anything to help, I would.”  

 

”Thank you,” Namjoon says.  He looks at the medicine in his hand with a slight frown on his lips, the thought of the bitter flavor of cough syrup on his tongue making his stomach begin to turn.  

 

”Well, if that is all, we will take our leave now,” Jin says and Namjoon leads the couple to his door.  "I hope you rest well.  I know you like to wonder the boat, and you can't do that if you're not feeling well," he winks.  

 

Namjoon has a feeling that Jin knows he's been sneaking into the band's rehearsals to watch Solbin practice her songs.  

 

”Don't forget to let us know how you are feeling later on in the day!” Swoon says.  

 

”Yes, ma'am.”  

 

”See you later, Namjoon,” Jin waves and he leads himself and his wife out of the room.  

 

Namjoon softly closes the door behind them and settles back unto the edge of his bed with his hands cradling his head, feeling his temples pulse and his ears faintly ringing. 

 

He stands to prepare himself to get back into bed, barely raising the bed sheets to crawl under when he suddenly stops. 

 

He lets go of the sheets in favor of picking up flower petal peeking out just beneath his pillow.  Namjoon gently holds the petal, rolling its stem between his thumb and index finger, noticing the color turn from a soft pink to a burnt orange towards the tip of the petal.  

 

"No, no, no," he whispers.  "This can't be," Namjoon coughs into his hand. 

 

He feels something itching on the back of his tongue and reaches into his mouth to pull out another flower petal.  He gags at the sensation of the stem scraping the lining of his throat.  

 

Namjoon knows what this could be, _he already knows_ , but he's never seen it for himself before.   

 

He's never dug into it because everyone believes it is just a myth, something you tell young children to stop them from asking too much about soulmates.  His father had told him about it a few times when he was a young boy. 

 

Namjoon even remembers his father scribbling into a journal about it after coming home from his private practice one day.  

 

He rushes over to his desk and pulls on the bottom drawer, forgetting that he keeps it locked.  He makes a frustrated noise and frantically starts to look for the key, pushing over all of his papers and books in order to find it.   

 

The light from the lamp sitting on the desktop reflects off of the key, catching Namjoon's attention and he quickly grabs for it.  He pushes it into the slot with an unsteady hand and twists the key until he hears the lock click. 

 

He pulls the drawer open, revealing a tattered journal inside.  Namjoon picks it up and flips its pages until he finds what he's looking for.  

 

"Symptoms of coughing...  Itchiness in the chest," he mutters, scanning the words on the page.  "Mild fever, temporary dizziness, internal bleeding," Namjoon curses at the last symptom, but he continues to read further because  _I just need to know that this I what I think it is_.    

 

_"And when did you start experiencing the first few of these symptoms, Mr. Kang?" Namjoon's father asks, his hand resting on a clipboard._

 

 _"_ _Um," his patient coughs into the inside of his elbow.  "I started to feel strange yesterday evening after my soulmate told me she didn't want to be with me...  But I don't think that could have anything to do with it—ah, it was raining that night and I forgot my umbrella, so—" the man tries to explain, but is cut off when he violently coughs into his hands._

 

_Namjoon's father goes to pat his patient's back when he sees flower petals stained with specks of blood innocently lying in the man's palms._

 

 _"_ _Are you alright?" he asks._

 

 _"_ _No," his patient cries out, he turns to him with a pain-stricken face.  "No, I'm not alright!"_     

 

"Symptoms seem to result from the rejection of a soulmate," Namjoon says aloud.  "Hanahaki Disease," his father called it, "Where the patient coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided or rejected love..."  

 

 _Solbin never said she didn't want to be with me_ , he thinks.  Maybe the effects of the disease don't have to start with a verbal command of some sort, maybe Solbin is rejecting our bond internally... 

 

Namjoon's shoulders lower in defeat.

 

 _Rejecting me_.  

 

"Will continue looking for a cure...in Nagasakiken, Japan," Namjoon reads his father's handwriting.  "Japan?"  

 

He flips through to the next few pages, finding his father had multiple patients with the same symptoms but ending up dead before he could do further research on them. 

 

Namjoon wishes his father wasn't suffering from dementia so he could continue his work. 

 

He looks closer at the patient's makeshift records in the journal and finds that the patients have varying periods of how long they live with the disease, some lasting a few weeks and others a few months.  

 

Namjoon releases a shaky sigh and closes the journal. _All I have to do is make it until the ship docks in Japan, find the nearest train, and head to Kyoto, someone will have to know something,_ he thinks. 

 

"I'll be fine," tells himself as he walks over to his bed.  

 

Namjoon lifts his bed sheets again to hopefully fall asleep and wake up from this bad dream, but all he sees is enough petals to fill a bouquet of flowers resting on his mattress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**SOLBIN**

 

Solbin wakes up to a pillow being thrown at her face.  She groans.  

 

"Yah, Solbin.  Wake up."  

 

Solbin sits up and blows a few strands of hair out of her face, squinting through the sleepiness in her eyes.  "What are you doing here, Jimin?"    

 

"Well," Jimin smiles from the middle of the room and runs a hand through his dark hair.  "It is my duty as your best friend to—"  

 

Solbin raises a hand towards Jimin.  "You already know Jinye is my best friend.  Just because you happen to be there almost every time to help me back to my room when I am drunk," she says as she stands and loses balance, "does not—," Jimin strides forwards and catches Solbin by her elbow before she falls, "make you my best friend," she glares.  

 

"Ouch," Jimin lightly laughs as he shifts her back into standing position.  "I'll try not act offended by that, but I guess you are right.  Although I am the first person you talked to on the boat when you first arrived, so that makes me your friend, at least," he singsongs.  "And since you are the youngest out of all of the performers, it is only right to look out for you."  

 

"Or you lost a bet and the responsibility of looking out for me got dumped onto you because everyone knows how problematic I tend to be.  Don't think I didn't overhear that conversation with you and the other boys.  Anyways, you're not that much older than me.  If anyone should be looking after me, it should be Hoseok, since he's the eldest out of all of us," Solbin sighs as she moves to look at herself in the standing mirror by her dresser.  "I look rough," she grimaces as she picks out an eye-booger.  "So tell me.  What did I do this time?"  

 

Jimin stands behind Solbin and looks at her reflection.  "Should I start with the fact that you have a new habit of biting your toenails in your sleep or you pouncing on a poor soul in the hallway?"  

 

Solbin snaps her neck towards Jimin and he flinches at her sudden movement.  "Oh my God, what!"  

 

"I know!  Your toes were pretty ripe, too, if I must say," Jimin recounts as he fans his nose.  "Did you happen to step into a swamp after you left the stage yesterday?"  

 

"What—okay, no," she protests.  Solbin takes a hesitant look at her toes, and sure enough, the polish is chipped and the top of one of her nail beds are torn apart.  

 

 _Looks like I won't be wearing those open-toed heels tonight_. 

 

She holds the bridge of her nose in between her index finger and her thumb.  "My toes are not important right now—"  

 

"You seemed to be pretty adamant about them last night—"  

 

"Stop," Solbin sighs.  "You said that I pounced someone in the hallway?  Why did you not stop me?"  

 

"Yeah, the guy was pretty shaken up by you," Jimin chuckles.  "And I was just walking back to my room when I saw you holding him hostage while you were laughing like a hyena."  

 

"Can I be any more embarrassing," Solbin whines to herself.  

 

"Actually, yes, you can," Jimin says matter-of-factly.  "He had to help me carry you to your room because you passed out on him."  

 

Solbin buries her face in her hands and groans.  "Okay, you can stop now."  

 

She hears Jimin exhale and feels him move in front of her. 

 

"You should cut back on the drinking, Solbin," he starts.  "You wouldn't want to get a big potbelly like these old rich guys that come on this ship, do you?  I don't think your soulmate would like that," Jimin jokes.  

 

The word soulmate seems to trigger Solbin in a way that makes her remember why she was drinking last night.   _Namjoon_ , she recalls. 

 

His name gives Solbin butterflies at thought of him being her soulmate, but at the same time, it makes her sick to her stomach because of all the times she talked so negatively about the idea of soulmates whenever he happened to be in earshot.   

 

She remembers how Namjoon found her last night and how horrible she felt.  

 

She remembers the buzz of her compass against her palm.  

 

She remembers him showing her his compass.   

 

She remembers how badly she made him feel.   

 

Solbin remembers internally rejecting any kind of love from him because she isn't worth it and Namjoon deserves so much more than a stupid girl like her.   

 

_I am so stupid, stupid, stupid—_

 

"Woah, Solbin," Jimin exclaims.  "Stop!  You're going to hurt yourself!"  

 

Solbin looks up to see her hands in Jimin's, Jimin trying prying her fingers from the inside of her hands.  She sees flaming red marks indented into the skin of her palms from her sharp fingernails, slightly tender to the touch.  

 

Jimin runs an attentive finger across the marks.  "That's...going to leave some bruises."  

 

Solbin is staring blankly at her palms when Jimin calls her name again.  

 

"Hey," Jimin cranes his neck so that his face in her field of vision, eyes full of worry.  "Is this about your ex again?"  

 

Solbin will be forever thankful towards Jimin for punching her ex-boyfriend the day she boarded the ship. 

 

After she ran into Jimin on the boat, she opened up to him about her past relationships and how she feels about soulmates.  Solbin remembers the way Jimin looked so sorry for her when she told him she hated her compass and the idea of it controlling her. 

 

She could tell Jimin was trying to sympathize with her because he once felt the same way she did, but being hopeful is easier than being pessimistic for him. She is thankful that Jimin has never tried to persuade her opinions the whole time they have known each other on the ship.  

 

Solbin rests her hands at her sides.  "No, this is...something else.  I-I'll tell you when I am ready."  

 

"Okay," Jimin leaves it at that and Solbin is grateful he isn't pushing for an answer right now.  Jimin places a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder.  "How about you take a breather and go freshen up, hm?" he says as he turns Solbin by her shoulders to face her bathroom.  "I will wait out here for you and then we can walk together to meet up with the others for breakfast.  How does that sound?"  

 

"Alright," she sighs as walks towards the bathroom.  She turns to see Jimin scooping up a book from her dresser and settling onto her bed.  "Thank you...you know," she timidly wraps her slims fingers around the frame of the door, "For everything."  

 

"I think you are missing the words 'best' and 'friend' in that sentence, but I will let it slide this one time since you look utterly terrible this morning," he says playfully.  

 

Solbin scoffs and rolls her eyes as she closes the bathroom door.

 

 

 

"You all are already eating?  Without us!?" Jimin says in disbelief as he and Solbin enter the cafeteria.  Jimin slams a hand on the breakfast table and everyone flinches.  "I know you didn't bless your food because I am the only one who prays over every meal we eat together as a family!"  

 

"Yah, Park Jimin," Hoseok warns from the head of the table.  "Sit down and eat, and stop causing a scene before you get exiled from the table again."  

 

Everyone giggles at Jimin as he flops down in his seat and begins to plate his food. 

 

"Traitors," Jimin pouts.  

 

"Solbin," Jinye calls.  "I saved you a seat next to me!"  

 

Solbin hums happily and skips over to sit in the empty chair by Jinye, directly across from Jimin.  "It is so refreshing to see my _best friend_ in the morning," Solbin says as she hugs said best friend, smirking at Jimin.  

 

Jimin points his butterknife at Jinye, "I'm not afraid to fight you for her."   

 

Jinye crinkles her forehead in confusion.  "What—"   

 

"Anyways, Jimin," Hoseok interrupts, "We did, in fact, pray over our food this morning.  Jungkook over here did the honors."  

 

Jimin turns to see the man he met last night sitting right next to him, looking mildly bashful.  "Oh, Jungkook!" he says with surprise and then turns to Solbin, "Oh, Jungkook~," he sing-songs with a smirk playing on his lips.  

 

Solbin gives him a confused look.  

 

"You should introduce yourself, Jungkook, now that everyone is here," Hoseok offers.  

 

Jungkook stands and smooths his hands down his trousers in a nervous manner.  "Hello, everyone," he bows, "My name is Jeon Jungkook.  I am playing the acoustic guitar for the band from now on.  It is very nice to meet you all." 

 

A small applause and loud hello's ring across the table.

 

"How can he be so handsome and cute at the same time," Jinye quietly squeals to Solbin as Jungkook returns to his seat.  

 

"Yeah," Solbin agrees she idly takes a bite of bacon. 

 

It's like she's been under trance now that she's gotten a good look at man in front of her, and she can't deny Jungkook might have been overly blessed with good looks—all of the sudden, realization hits Solbin like a ton of bricks because this is the same man that she pounced on and the same man that had to help Jimin carry her to her room in her drunken state late night. 

 

Solbin chokes on her food and Jinye hurriedly claps a hand on her back to help her through her coughing fit.  

 

"Jeon Jungkookie," she hears Jimin sing.  

 

Solbin stares daggers into Jimin.  "Why didn't you tell me it was him?" she mouths at him angrily.  

 

"You didn't ask," Jimin playfully mouths back and Solbin wants to punch him square in the jaw.  

 

Everyone goes back to their own conversations and eating as Solbin clears her throat.  "Hey, Jungkook," she begins and he looks up from his plate with wide eyes.  "Um, listen, about last night.  That—"  

 

"Yeah, let's talk about last night!" Jimin says as he leans back in his chair as he bites into his biscuit.  

 

"It is alright.  We don't have to talk about it," Jungkook says quickly.  

 

"Sit correctly in your chair, Jimin—I swear I am not your father," Hoseok says from his end of the table.  

 

"My father doesn't reprimand me as much as you do," Jimin sweetly smiles like he knows Hoseok can't stay mad at him for long.  

 

"Anyways," Solbin sighs.  "As I was trying to say, I want to apologize for last night."  

 

"Hm?  What happened last night?" Jinye joins.  

 

"Nothing.  Don't speak with your mouth full," Solbin says as she wipes a few crumbs from Jinye's mouth.  "I was out of line and what you saw last night was not the real me," she tells Jungkook.  

 

"I understand, really.  No one is perfect.  Don't worry, I won't hold what happened against you," Jungkook says with a small smile.  "I...hope we can become friends."  

 

Solbin feels her face heat up and she quickly takes a drink of water to calm herself.  

 

"Alright, I hope everyone ate well," Hoseok claps.  "Time for practice!  Jungkook, stay close to me, I will give you a tour on the way to the ballroom."  

 

Solbin watches Jungkook hurry over to Hoseok's side as the group begins to exit the room.  

 

"Just a fair warning," Jimin says as he rounds the table to walk with Solbin, "I think Jungkook might have a girl."  

 

"How do you know?" she questions.    "He mentioned it last night.  I saw you making heart eyes at him earlier, so just be careful."  

 

"I'll be fine, Jimin," Solbin says as they enter the ballroom.  "There's nothing wrong with getting to know him."  

 

"Yeah, just don't get hurt in the process," Jimin mutters as he hops onstage to tune his cello.  

 

Solbin goes to stand next to Jungkook and the other vocalists at Hoseok's piano.  

 

Hoseok experimentally runs his fingers down the ivory keys and looks up with a smile.  "So, Jungkook," he starts as he plays a final chord on the piano, "The entertainment scout has informed me that you play the acoustic guitar, so I'm assuming that you can sight-read.  Would it be too much to ask if you can sing also?"  

 

Solbin sees Jungkook's face contort with confusion for second before he masks it with a tight smile, "Uh, yes can read music...  But I wouldn't say I am the best at singing."  

 

"I have a song in mind that we could do.  Would you mind singing a few bars for us so I can get a feel for your voice?"  

 

"Ah, sure," Jungkook nervously replies. 

 

He jogs to get his guitar out of his case and returns to his place by Solbin as he quickly strums a few chords against the strings.  He clears his throat and Solbin waits in anticipation. 

 

Jungkook takes a deep breath, closes eyes, and begins picking the first few notes of the song, " _Remember the way you made me feel_."

 

Solbin's world slows and she is instantly pulled in by his voice.  

 

" _Something in me knew that it was real, frozen in my head_ ," Jungkook's voice is like honey and Solbin is amazed by how he sings every word.

 

His voice reminds her of why she started singing and writing her own songs.  She's reminded of how excited her mom was when Solbin performed her first song her in the middle of their small kitchen when she was younger.   

 

Jungkook's voice is like the embodiment of what Solbin wants to achieve with her songs, of how she wants to keep writing songs that people can relate with—  

 

"You're catching flies, Solbin," Jimin calls out and everyone laughs at his joke while Solbin's tries not to look embarrassed.   

 

"Alright, alright," Hoseok speaks up, calming down the laughter before he turns back to his piano, "Wow, that very was lovely, Jungkook," he says proudly.  "I think your vocal style fits perfectly with Solbin's.  I have the perfect duet for you two, I will go get the music sheets for everyone!" Hoseok says as he runs into the dressing room.  

 

"Your voice is really nice," Solbin compliments as she tucks her hair behind her ear.  

 

"Thank you," Jungkook softly replies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**JISOO**

"Jisoo, your shift is over!  Get out of my engine room," Mr. Lee calls over his shoulder.  

 

"Yes, sir," Jisoo says as she removes her gloves.  She pulls out a handkerchief out of her back pocket to wipe at her forehead when she overhears a pair of men talking behind her back.  

 

"Right?  The boss is always so easy him," one of the men scowls.  

 

"Yeah," the other agrees.  "Hey, Kim," he says as he walks over to Jisoo. 

 

 _What do they want now?_ Jisoo internally groans.

 

"It's kind of hard not to notice that Mr. Lee gives you fewer hours to work compared to the rest of us," he spits.  

 

 _Seriously?_   

 

"What are you talking about?  I work the exact same hours as you do," she explains as she slips her handkerchief back into her pocket. 

 

Jisoo is used to men in the engine room being aggressive with one another and picking on her for her size from time to time, but it's never directed at her like this.  

 

"Right, right," the first man scoffs as he joins.  "The others say you spend more time upstairs than you do down here."  

 

"That's because Mr. Lee gives me duties in other parts of the ship," Jisoo tries to reason. 

 

She can tell the heat of the engine room is starting to get to these men since they haven't been here long. 

 

Most of the workers come and go every season, making it difficult for the new workers to get used to the high temperatures in such a short amount of time.  Jisoo can sympathize with that.  

 

"And you are of age," the other adds, completely ignoring her.  "It's not like you're one of the youngins' working around here, so you can't get shorter shifts like they do."  He suspiciously eyes Jisoo and steps forward, "You in some kind of arrangement with the boss?"  

 

Jisoo is backed into the machine she was just working on.  "What?  No!  You got it all wrong, I—" the heat of the metal stings her back as she makes contact with it, making her involuntarily flinch forward into the man questioning her.  

 

The man fists his hand into the front Jisoo's jumpsuit and yanks on it, shifting the cloth binding wrapped around her breast out of place. 

 

"You like kissing Mr. Lee's boots while the rest of us are slaving in this heat down here?" he hisses as he pushes Jisoo back into the heat of the machine, holding her against it with amusement in his eyes.  

 

She feels the heat seep into her jumper and she screams when she feels her skin begins to protest against the heat.  

 

"Are you getting a sense of how we feel now?"  

 

Jisoo struggles against the man's hold, trying to get out from in between his large fist and the hot metal digging into her back.  Jisoo feels her skin start to blister and break with every second she's held against her will. 

 

Her eyes blur with the tears and chest starts to constrict with panic.  She can barely make out the sight of more men stepping forward to watch the scene unfold.  

 

"You not man enough to fight back?" another man laughs.  "Why is a little thing like you even here?"  

 

"That's enough!" Mr. Lee yells breaks through the crowd.  "Let her go," he says too quickly.  "Now!"  

 

"I barely did anything to him—"

 

Jisoo cuts the man off with another scream.  The man lets go of her jumpsuit and she falls to the floor with a sob.  

 

"What is everyone doing still standing around?" Mr. Lee questions as his anger boils over.  He looks at the crowd formed around them.  "Get back to work before I decide to kick you off this boat as soon as we dock and leave you all in Japan with no money to get back to your families!  I have your papers, I know none of you speak a lick of Japanese!"  

 

The men grumble in frustration and make their way back to their stations.  

 

"You said her...  You called me her," Jisoo reels.  She feels a warm hand on her shoulder and she jerks away with a whimper.  

 

"It's okay, it's okay.  It's just me, Jisoo.  No one is going to hurt you now," Mr. Lee gently says.  "Are you alright?"  

 

Jisoo barley registers his question as she takes a deep breath through the pain and rises from the floor to her knees, "It hurts."  

 

"Oh my God, Jisoo!"  

 

She looks up to see her brother dropping to his knees in front of her. 

 

Seungjun cups his hands on both sides of Jisoo's face, worry radiating off of him in waves and Jisoo sighs at the coolness against her cheeks.  

 

Seungjun hurriedly looks over Jisoo's sweaty face and makes a worried noise in the back of his throat.  He turns to their boss, "Someone came and got me.  Who did this!?  I swear to God, when I find out who—"  

 

"I will take care of that later.  Your sister is hurt and she needs attention on those burns on her back," Mr. Lee interrupts him.   

 

There's silence between the two men.  Jisoo's eyes flutter closed and she leans onto her brother.  

 

"It doesn't matter how I know," Mr. Lee sighs.  "Just take the elevator and get her to a nurse, quickly."  

 

Seungjun slides an arm underneath Jisoo's knees and wraps the other around the lower half of her back, "I'm going to pick you up now, okay?  Mrs. Sowon is gonna have you feeling better in no time, hm?"

 

He begins to lift Jisoo's body and she yelps at the sensation of rough fabric rubbing near her burnt skin. 

 

"Sorry!  I'm sorry," Seungjun quickly apologizes.

 

Jisoo instinctively wraps her arms around her brother's neck and she distantly hears him calling her name before everything around her fades to black.

 

 

 

"Lay him on his belly so I can examine him, please."  

 

Jisoo is falling in and out of consciousness, but she feels Seungjun carefully lay her on her side and then her roll onto her front side atop the gurney.  

 

"Jesus," Sowon gasps.  "What on earth happened?"  

 

Seugjun sighs. "Mr. Lee said he got into a little trouble with some of the other guys in the engine room.  A pair of guys were harassing him and one of those bastar—one of those hard-working men," he seethes, "held him against the machine he was stationed at, hence the burns on his back."  

 

Jisoo hisses at the cold fingers making contact with her damaged skin.  

 

Sowon tuts her tongue and presses her palm onto Jisoo's forehead.  "He's sweating and running a bit of a fever.  I'm going to have cut his clothes open to properly assess the damage."  

 

Jisoo hears the sound of scissors cut into the back of her jumpsuit, then feels soft hands working to tear the fabric of her undershirt open.  She's barely thinking, but she's so relieved to be away from the men that ganged up on her earlier.  

 

"What—Why is he wearing so many layers?" Sowon asks.  

 

"It's nothing... Can you tend to the wounds, please?" Seungjun pleads.  

 

"This cloth is sticking to his skin.  Why is it wrapped around his torso like this?"  Sowon speaks again when he doesn't answer, "Seungjun, I have known the two you ever since you stepped foot on this ship.  Now, tell me the truth."  

 

"Fine, fine...  Jisoo is..a _she_ not a he..." Seungjun hesitantly explains.  

 

"Excuse me?!  You're telling me that Jisoo has been working down in the engine room as _a woman_ this whole time?"  

 

"Well, technically, she worked as a man, so—"  

 

"This is not a time for jokes," Sowon says sternly.  "Do you understand how dangerous this is and how much trouble he— _she_  could be in?  The engine room is no place for a woman and I cannot guarantee that these burns won't leave scars on her back.  I know the both of you don't come from a great background, but this...this is not right, Seungjun, and you know this!  I'm surprised this hasn't happened before."  

 

"This...has happened before—"  

 

"Seungjun!"  

 

"But she has never gotten attacked like this!" he whines.  "The other men pick on her from time to time, but...  Mrs. Sowon, you're not going to report us to the captain, are you?  We can't go back home!  We have nothing to go back to where we come from.  This is Jisoo's only dream and she's better at her job than any of those other fools working down there...  Please."  

 

"Fine.  I won't say anything, but she has to answer for herself when she comes to."  

 

Jisoo fades back into the darkness before guilt can scratch at the surface of her brain.

 

 

 

Jisoo awakes to the something vibrating in her left hand and the feeling of a gentle thumb rubbing over the back of her right.  She hums in confusion and tries to push herself up.  

 

"No, no, Jisoo, you're alright.  Lie back down so your wounds can heal properly."  

 

 _Where have I heard that voice before?_  

 

"I hope she's awake now—Hey!  Get your hands off of her!" Seungjun almost yells as he pulls back the privacy curtain.  

 

Jisoo lifts her head to see her brother with a glass of water and pills in his hands, and Yoongi— _oh my God, Yoongi_ —now standing, with his hands lifted in the air in defense.  

 

"Yah, are a pervert or something?" Seungjun accuses as he steps closer to Yoongi.  "What are you doing in here touching my sister?"   

 

Yoongi looks in between Jisoo and Seungjun, realization dawning on his face.  "No, that's not—this isn't what it looks like," he stumbles.  

 

"Oh," Seungjun bitterly laughs as he places the glass and pills on the gurney-side table, keeping eye contact with Yoongi, "Do tell me what it looks like then," he crosses his arms over his chest, the faint hint of muscles rippling showing through his shirt.   

 

Jisoo would be cooing over the fact that her little brother is growing up so well and complimenting on him finally losing his baby fat, but she needs to deescalate the situation unfolding in front of her. 

 

"Seungjun, that is enough.  Stop acting tough and get out of Mr. Min's face," she says she slips her vibrating compass underneath the pillow.  

 

"What?  You know who this man is?" he points at Yoongi.  

 

"Yes," Jisoo replies tiredly.  She winces as she rolls over to her side, the skin on her back taut from trying to heal.  "I met him while I was helping the guests find their accommodations yesterday afternoon."  She looks over to Yoongi and she sees his eyes soften at her, "He is a...friend of mine."  

 

Yoongi lowers his hands as the corners of his mouth slightly lift and Jisoo swears she feels a hundred times better knowing he's here.  

 

"Well, he seems to be more than a friend, from seeing what I just walked in on," Seungjun speaks up.  

 

Jisoo turns to her brother.  "I need to speak to Mr. Min," and before her brother opens his mouth to disagree, "Alone."  

 

"Fine," Seungjun mutters.  "Mr. Lee wants me back in the engine room anyway.  You better not try anything while I'm gone," he glares at Yoongi before he exits behind the curtain.  

 

"I'm so sorry about him," Jisoo says bashfully.  

 

"Oh, it's quite alright," Yoongi waves off as he sits down.  "He is just doing his job as your brother," he says with a knowing look on his face.  

 

"About that," Jisoo starts.  

 

"You don't have to explain.  I already knew you were a woman," he says simply.  "You really threw me a curve ball," he chuckles as he leans forward to rest his elbows atop his thighs.  

 

"What?  You knew!?  How?" Jisoo almost screams when she remembers that the thin curtains hanging around them don't give them much privacy for this conversation.  

 

"Well, when you almost fell up the stairs and I caught you...  I could just...tell."  

 

"So you were feeling me up?" Jisoo smirks.  

 

"No, no," Yoongi hurriedly says and Jisoo laughs at how flustered he is.  "I wasn't doing that—unless you would want me to?—I mean, no, that was very inappropriate to say.  I am so sorry," he hides his face in his hands.   

 

Jisoo laughs even louder as she bends her arm to pillow her head against her hand and Yoongi looks at her through his fingers with a light smile forming across his lips.  

 

"I think you should take the medicine your brother brought for you," he says as moves to pick up the glass.  He places the pills in Jisoo's outstretched hand as she sits up and gives her the glass once the medicine is in her mouth.  

 

"Thank you," she says once she swallows the pills and chugs down the water.  "So how did you end up in here?"  

 

"Oh, a gentleman dropped a porcelain plate at breakfast earlier and I foolishly went to help pick up the broken pieces.  I guess acting out of kindness can come with a little pain sometimes," Yoongi says as he shows Jisoo the bandage secured underneath his pinky finger.  "So after I got this cleaned, I couldn't help but overhear your brother and a nurse talking about you on my way out.  Is it true, that you got attacked?  Are you alright?"  

 

"It was just a misunderstanding.  It's not a big deal...  It won't happen again," Jisoo says.   

 

Yoongi sighs and Jisoo can tell he wants to say more about it, but he changes the topic. 

 

"I'm more than glad that you're okay, but I-I think there is something else we need to discuss," Yoongi says seriously as Jisoo lays back down after handing him the now empty glass cup.  

 

Jisoo rests her head on her pillow and absently plays with the thick fabric lying beneath her, trying to distract herself from Yoongi's soft gaze and the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. 

 

"Yeah," she says as she pulls her compass from underneath the pillow, watching the needle struggle and point to the man in front of her. "I guess we're soulmates."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**YERI**

 

Yeri bites at one of her nails as she pushes the door leading outside open. 

 

She slightly winces at the cold weather meeting her form.  She buttons her coat and rubs her hands together before she begins walking along the main deck. 

 

She is looking everywhere for her soulmate.  For the first time, another man was on her mind when she first woke up this morning rather than her own fiance. 

 

Yeri can't get the image of her soulmate out of her mind, and the make things worse, she doesn't even know his name. She feels bad about it, and her compass keeps reminding her.

 

Breakfast was nice with her mother, Taehyung, and his parents, but she couldn't stop thinking about what happened last night.  Maybe if she wonders around long enough, she'll be able to find the man she's destined to be with.

 

"Yeri!  Hey, let me walk with you," Taehyung says as he catches up to Yeri.  "I stepped outside for a little bit before walking you to breakfast earlier and it was freezing, I tell you!"  

 

Yeri giggles as she takes slower strides to match Taehyung's pace.  "It seems to be warming a little bit, but there is a bite to the air, no doubt," she replies.

 

Taehyung takes Yeri's hand in his and pulls her close to his side.  "What do you want to do today?"

 

 _Find and talk to my soulmate_ , Yeri wants to say but she settles on, "You know what? I wanted to walk around for a little and enjoy the view, but it is just so cold out here.  Do you mind going if we get some warm tea inside?" 

 

"Okay, sure," Taehyung says and he guides them back inside the ship.

 

The contrast in temperatures makes Yeri shiver and Taehyung quickly coos and wraps an arm around her, rubbing her arm to help warm her up.

 

Taehyung picks a small table near a pair of windows and pulls out a chair for Yeri sit in.  He motions for a waiter once they are seated and orders tea for the both of them. 

 

They are both quiet for a while, basking in the atmosphere around them before a question starts to crawl up Yeri's throat because something feels off. 

 

"Taehyung, are you upset?"

 

"No," Taehyung says a little sharply and he sits back in his seat.  "That man you were with last night—the one you danced with last...  Do you know him?"

 

Yeri stomach drops.  "What?  No, we just happened to be dance partners during the song."

 

"You two looked mighty close," Taehyung remarks as a waiter returns with two teacups.  "Or was it just my imagination?"

 

Yeri looks down and cups her fingers around the teacup, soaking the warmth into her skin, but also trying to avoid Taehyung's piercing gaze.  "I think it was just your imagination."

 

Yeri's stomach flutters and the memory of how close she was to her soulmate.  

 

Taehyung hums to show that he heard Yeri, but says nothing more after he takes a few sips of his tea. 

 

The air is tense between them before a man in a black suit walks up to their table and whispers something in Taehyung's ear.

 

Yeri somewhat knows what is happening.  She knows Taehyung has a business of his own that he rarely speaks about and Yeri chooses to stay ignorant to it just so she doesn't have to worry about it.

 

Taehyung dabs the corners of his mouth with a napkin before he stands and adjusts his coat.  "I am terribly sorry to leave you like this, Yeri, but I have some business I need to attend to."

 

"It's fine," Yeri sighs.  "Do whatever you have to do.  I'm used to it," she says as she looks away and takes a long sip of her tea.  Yeri has seen this scene many times before, a man whispering into Taehyung's ear and him excusing himself from the room.

 

Taehyung says nothing in return as he lets himself be escorted out of the room with the other man.

 

Yeri sits back in her chair and breathes through her nose, no longer interested in the warm liquid sitting on the table before her.

 

She looks around the room before she see's her soulmate,  _her soulmate_ , enter the room with another man and a woman.  

 

 _They must be his friends_ , Yeri thinks to herself, a pinch of jealousy running through her at the thought of them getting to know her soulmate before she can.

 

Her soulmate's friends motion towards an empty table as her soulmate gestures towards to the men's restroom.  He disappears behind the door and Yeri heavily stares at the door, just waiting for her soulmate to emerge from behind it so she can get a good look at him.

 

Just as her soulmate pushes past the door, his eyes land immediately on her.  Yeri's compass hums to life with excitement and she gasps.  

 

Yeri's feet begin to move without her permission and her soulmate does the same, both of them meeting each other in the center of the room before they stop just a few feet away from each other. 

 

Yeri's compass is vibrating against her hand and she doesn't what to do, but her soulmate to know as he takes the last remaining to steps between them and he hesitantly takes her right hand in his.  

 

Yeri is so glad she isn't wearing gloves this time.

 

"Last night," he begins.  "I didn't get the chance to know your name."

 

"Yeri," she quickly says.  "My name is Kim Yeri."

 

"Jeon Jungkook," her soulmate supplies and Yeri smiles in relief.

 

Yeri can't believe this is happening.  She's been fed the idea that she will never meet her soulmate for so long that she almost started to believe it before now.  "We're—"

 

"Soulmates," Jungkook finishes.  They longingly stare into each other's eyes before Jungkook gestures towards the table Yeri was occupying.  "I came here to eat lunch with friends, but I would much rather spend that time with you."

 

"Okay," Yeri breathes and she guides back to her table.

 

"Is tea all you're having?" Jungkook asks after he pushes Yeri's chair in once she is seated.  "No wonder you have a very slim figure," he jokes. 

 

They both know lunchtime has just begun.

 

"Thank you for the compliment, Jungkook," Yeri smiles as she leans forward to place her elbow on the table and rests her chin in her palm, "but I am a woman that likes to eat greasy pizza and thick sandwiches, and all we're gonna get here is one-third of a steak and a sad Caesar salad."  

 

Jungkook lifts an eyebrow and chuckles.  "I think we're more alike than I thought.  Say, you're not like those other rich damsels, are you, Yeri?  I'm only asking because the dress you are wearing looks too nice to buy at a common clothing market."  

 

"No," Yeri lightly giggles, "Or at least I try not to be...  My mother makes wear this stuff.  I think a lot of my father rubbed off on me," she says as she runs her fingers down the fabric of her [dress](https://78.media.tumblr.com/3f23d862b9466ca543e43a47dc5480eb/tumblr_pe1r9jppMH1wyn32ko1_540.jpg).  "My father would take me to the carnival back in Seoul all the time before I came of age.  We'd leave for the beach early in the morning and eat all kinds of food and desserts before we would leave right after sunset,"  she reminisces.  She isn't why just told Jungkook that, but she feels like she could tell him anything. 

 

"And your mother?" Jungkook asks out of curiousness.  

 

"My mother," Yeri sighs.  "She always seemed to find having tea with her girlfriends more interesting than me, so I am quite the daddy's girl," she looks up from her lap to Jungkook, seeing a hint of concern on his eyes, "Don't get me wrong, I love my mother very much, it's just that—she makes loving her a little difficult sometimes with how strict she can be."  

 

"I understand...  Parents can be difficult as well," Jungkook agrees, taking a sip of his water after a waiter places two glasses on their table.  

 

"What about your family?"  Yeri asks.

 

"My family is...very complicated.  I mostly grew up in Busan, but, uh," Jungkook thumbs at the silverware on the table, "We—my parents were never really around as I grew up.  They worked long shifts and spent all their money on any kind of drugs they could get their hands on.  They wanted me to be something I wasn't.  They wanted me to be a doctor so I could bring money to our house, but I didn't like studying much, I liked writing songs and they were not having any of that.  They made me dress in these itchy and expensive clothes, so our neighbors wouldn't talk badly about us, and we could barely afford to put breakfast on the table. 

 

Yeri looks at him in sympathy.

 

"I love my parents also, but I felt so trapped there, in that house, so after I graduated high school...I left.  It was hard at first, living on my own, no money to my name, taking odd jobs here and there as I went from city to city, but I messed around one night not too long ago and won a guitar in a stupid game of poker," Jungkook lightly chuckles as he fondly gazes into Yeri's eyes, "And I guess a lot of luck came with it."  

 

Yeri reaches across the table and wraps her hand around his.  "I didn't mean to make you talk about something so difficult, I am so sor—"  

 

"No, no, it's alright.  You didn't know.  You are my soulmate, so you should know."  

 

"My, my!  Congratulations," up waiter speaks as she nears their table.  "Not many people find their soulmate, but you two make a great couple.  You guys really have that handsome-but-rough-looking-man-on-the-run-meets-sheltered-dark-haired-Rapunzel vibe down to a tee.  Would you like to begin with an appetizer?  Maybe a refill on your beverages?  Some bread?"  

 

"We'll take the bread," Yeri and Jungkook say at the same time.  

 

_Wow, we really are soulmates._

 

They both look at each other with gaping mouths and burst into mutual laughter.  

 

The waiter grins.  "I'll be back with the bread then."  

 

"Hey," Jungkook caresses the back of Yeri's hand with his thumb.  "I'll be performing on stage tonight in the main ballroom, will you be there?"  

 

"Of course," Yeri replies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**JIN**

 

Jin takes a sip of the black coffee Sowon just dropped off for him and looks at the vast amount of water lying before the ship.  

 

 _This will never get old_ , he thinks.   

 

"Hey, Cap," the chief engineer says as he enters the control room.  "The radio officers said that the temperatures are expected to drop drastically over the next few days.  They're getting reports of frozen ice nearby, but the water is pretty calm so we shouldn't run into anything."  

 

"Looks like there won't be any trouble to look out for.  Thank you for the report," Jin politely says.  He turns to rest his coffee mug on the table behind him when he sees the engineer still awkwardly standing near him.  "Is there anything else I need to know?" he asks expectantly.  

 

"Well, um, sir," the engineer begins.  

 

"Don't mumble your words, you are in a high paying position," Jin encourages.  

 

"The engine room, sir.  The low temperatures are making it somewhat difficult for the men to keep the heating system afloat.  We are okay for right now, but it is raising a slight concern considering the impending weather over next few days."  

 

"I'll meet with Mr. Lee and the naval architect later today then.  Don't worry," Jin comforts the man with a pat on the shoulder.  "This isn't something I haven't seen before," he says he walks forward to large window expanding the front of the control room, "And the way that this ship was built makes it practically unsinkable."

 

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song(s) in this chapter: 
> 
> 1) Paper Hearts - Tori Kelly (Jungkook's cover)
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Lemme know what you think, I am very appreciative of feedback.
> 
> See you in the next one~


	4. I'm In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I can give you anything and everything you want if you marry me. Your soulmate may give you the love that you want right now, but love doesn't pay the bills, love doesn't feed you when you are hungry. We both come from families of wealth and power and influence, and sadly, that is all we know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  **Trigger warning: minor character death**

 

 

 

 

 

**YOONGI**

 

Yoongi is humming a low tune behind his lips as he walks through the flower shop in the ship's reception area. 

 

He can't stop smiling and his throat is a little sore, he hasn't talked to someone like that in such a long time. 

 

He and his soulmate talked for what seemed like hours until Jisoo asked Yoongi to accompany her to dinner later in the evening and happily agreed with butterflies in his stomach before he left the ship's sick bay in search of getting something special for his soulmate. 

 

He stops in front of a large selection of roses when he feels a light tap on his shoulder.

 

"Excuse me," a man nervously says.  "Do you know what kind of flowers women like?  I mean, um, this is my first time doing this and I am trying to send a specific message and—"

 

"Was it love at first sight?" Yoongi quietly interrupts, keeping his eyes on the display of flowers.

 

The man pauses for a moment before he answers.  "Yeah, it was.  It truly was."

 

Yoongi picks up a bouquet of flowers for himself before he picks up single white rose and hands it to the man.  "I think this will do the job."

 

"Oh," the man takes the flower and slightly bows to Yoongi in appreciation.  "Thank you for helping me out," and he hurriedly leaves to pick up an envelope and pay for the flower.

 

Yoongi exits the shop after visiting the register, taking leisurely steps and swaying a bouquet of flowers at his side.  He surprises himself by how elated he is to have found his soulmate in a place where he least expected. 

 

_My butler would never believe what happened to me as soon as I got on this ship._

 

He smiles, thinking of how Jisoo can bring so much light into the dark mansion he resides in.  How content he can finally be, knowing his parents would be so happy for him if they were still alive. 

 

 _My parents would most likely make a big occasion out this_ , he airily laughs to himself, _my mother would be running everywhere setting up things for a huge celebration._

 

"You look happy," Jungkook suddenly speaks.

 

Yoongi comes to a stop and looks up.  "Oh, Jungkook," he blinks and reaches forward to shake the man's hand, happy to finally see his new friend on the ship.  He looks over at the woman slightly behind Jungkook.  "Yeri?" his eyes light up with recognition.  "It has been a while," he says as slightly bows.  

 

Jungkook curiously looks between them.  "You two know each other?"  

 

"We do," Yeri speaks up with a soft smile.  "Our fathers are close friends.  You can say Yoongi is like an older brother to me."  

 

Yoongi and Yeri go way back, being introduced to one another when they were just eight and six. 

 

Yeri would often come along with her father to Yoongi's home to get away from the strictness of her mother and Yoongi was always there to cheer her up, running around his family's large house and sharing stories about soulmates when they were alone.  

 

All of Yeri's made-up stories about soulmates has come to waste now that she's about to marry someone who she isn't destined to be with. 

 

At the thought of that, Yoongi wonders, _isn't she supposed to be with Taehyung?  Maybe she's just here with her parents?_

 

"How do you two know each other?" Yoongi asks instead as he gestures between the couple.  

 

"Ah, yes.  Yeri and I are sou—" Jungkook smiles widely before Yeri suddenly interrupts.

 

"We're just friends!" she says awkwardly.  "W-we just recently met."

 

Jungkook gives Yeri a look that Yoongi almost misses.  Yoongi can tell something is wrong, but before he can voice his concern, Yeri quickly changes the subject.

 

She looks over Yoongi's shoulder, "Ah.  That's my mother getting on the elevator—she wants me in her room to get ready for tonight," she says quickly as she gives Jungkook's arm a small squeeze and moves forward to hug Yoongi.  "It is very nice to see you out of the house like this, Yoongi," she whispers to him and Yoongi knows she talking about all the times he's spent cooped up in his home, all the times where he would deny anyone entry onto his family's property after the funeral, all the times he didn't respond to Yeri letters. 

 

Yoongi will never understand why Yeri held onto him when he pushed everyone away, but he's thankful. 

 

"I'll see you later," she says as she goes to call another elevator.

 

Yoongi watches Jungkook as he looks after Yeri somewhat run inside an elevator despite her layered outfit.  Jungkook has a look on his face that on Yoongi can't read.  "Is something the matter, Jungkook?"

 

"Uh, no, no," Jungkook says, his eyes lingering on Yeri before disappears behind the elevator's doors.  "Well, I'm glad we're all friends," he remarks, a little bit of hurt laced in his voice before he masks it with a tight smile as turns back to Yoongi and points at the flowers he's holding.  "So who are those flowers for?"  

 

"I will be escorting someone to dinner tonight," Yoongi says shyly.  

 

"Oh, really?" Jungkook says with wide eyes.  "Who's the lucky girl?"

 

"Yes, um," Yoongi almost whispers as he rubs the back of his neck with his free hand.  "She is my soulmate."  

 

"Oh, wow," Jungkook sincerely smiles,  "I'm really happy for you, Yoongi.  I'll have to meet her tonight then!  I will be performing on stage in the main ballroom.  Make you sure you bring her with you there!"  

 

Yoongi looks to Jungkook, "You didn't tell me you were part of the ship's band.  That's a big deal."  

 

"I just wanted to be a little humble," Jungkook jokes before he pulls out his pocket watch, "It's almost call time for the band.  It was nice chatting with you, I'll see you later, alright?"  

 

"Of course," Yoongi agrees and then he's left alone in the middle of a busy lobby. 

 

He walks to a seemingly empty stairwell leading to down to Jisoo's room when he roughly bumps into someone. 

 

Yoongi hears something scratch across the wooden floor and his head follows the sound, seeing a very expensive-looking necklace lying on the floor before him.  He bends to pick it up, but whoever dropped it is faster.  

 

"I apologize, I apparently was not watching where I was going," he says with a deep voice as he stuffs the necklace into his vest pocket.  

 

"Taehyung," Yoongi distantly says, forgetting about the necklace when he recognizes its owner.  The plastic holding Jisoo's flowers crackles as Yoongi tightens his fist around it.  

 

"Yoongi," Taehyung replies with raised eyebrows.  "Well, I surely did not expect to see you here, of all places," he adjusts his trench coat.  

 

"Hm, same here," Yoongi mutters.   

 

"You know, I tried to get in contact with you after the funeral, I wanted to—"  

 

"Save it, Taehyung," Yoongi interrupts.  "Your mother had the decency to show up, but she had to lie about your whereabouts.  Everyone came, except you and your father," he points at him and scoffs.  "You couldn't even leave your little side business for one rainy afternoon to pay respects to my—" Yoongi is trying so hard to hold back his anger and his tears.  "The audacity of you two," he bitterly laughs.  "You have no idea how much my father has done for yours and this is how he repays him, with nothing, not even a single letter."  

 

Taehyung reaches out, but Yoongi takes a step back.  "Let me apologize, Yoongi.  I am truly sorry for not being there for you.  I was going to come, but something came up that I had to take care of."  

 

"That's always your excuse," Yoongi sighs.  "I know the friendship we have has grown distant, but the day I needed you most...you weren't there."  Yoongi can see the sadness in the other man's eyes.  "From us growing up with together, I know better than to accept an empty apology from you, Taehyung."  

 

Taehyung has a track record of letting Yoongi down in the past, and he always made up for it, reassuring Yoongi with empty promises time and time again. 

 

Yoongi considers himself to be too nice, always giving Taehyung more chances than he deserves. 

 

Yoongi would have ripped Taehyung clean from his life, but both of their lives and families were too entangled with each other to do that.  Ever since Yoongi got the wedding invitation to Yeri and Taehyung's wedding, he was both happy and sad. 

 

Yoongi still hasn't made up his mind if he will even attend the ceremony because of his past with Taehyung.

 

"I know don't keep promises well—and I know messed up a lot with you when we were younger, especially last year.  I am terribly sorry about your parents' death.  I know you love them very much, and could never imagine something like that happening to my family," Taehyung wrings out his hands and sighs. 

 

Taehyung has never apologized like this before and Yoongi can see him really trying. 

 

"Please, let me make it up to you," he pleads.  "I can't do anything right now, I'm on this ship for business at the moment, but—"

 

"Is that what Yeri is to you?"  Yoongi spits.  "Some kind of business deal?"

 

"No," Taehyung quickly defends himself, "Our wedding is arranged, but I really do love her, Yoongi."

 

"Just," Yoongi breathes through his nose, "I don't want to hear any more promises from you.  The person you should be keeping promises to is Yeri.  Do that, and I'll consider putting trust in you."

 

This seems to appease Taehyung. 

 

"I swear, Yoongi," he says, "As soon as we arrive on Korean soil, we can rebuild our friendship.  I know we may never be best friends like we were when we were children, but I'm willing to try...if you are."  

 

Yoongi stares at him for a while.  He decides to be patient for now.  "A-alright," and then Taehyung is hugging him. 

 

 _How long has it been since we last hugged?_  

 

Yoongi is still for a moment before he awkwardly pats Taehyung on the back.  "I just want to put the past behind us," he sighs as Taehyung lets him go.  

 

"So do I," Taehyung agrees.  "Thank you for giving me another chance."  

 

"If you try anything funny, Tae, I won't hesitate to put myself and the people I care about above you," he warns.  

 

"Okay, Yoongi," Taehyung replies with a slight smile.  He pats Yoongi's arm, "I'll see you around," and he leaves.  

 

Yoongi exhales through his mouth and continues his journey to Jisoo's room. 

 

He stops in front of her door and tips the bouquet of flowers near his nose, breathing in its light scent, trying to mask the pangs of nervousness hitting the pit of his belly.  He contemplates if he should verbally announce his arrival or just simply knock on the door. 

 

 _Maybe I should do both?_  

 

Yoongi goes through a series of lifting his fist to knock on the door and putting it back down out of fear. 

 

 _This is not the time to be a coward!  She's in there waiting for you, you fool!_  

 

He finally gains the courage to knock on the door, but before he gets the chance, Seungjun opens the door.  Yoongi notices that Seungjun's skin is a little paler than when he last saw him this morning.  

 

"I heard you internally struggling from the other side of the door," he says he coughs into his elbow and Yoongi says nothing.  "Hey, Jisoo, your pervert is here!" he calls over his shoulder, still eyeing Yoongi.  

 

"I told you he's my soulmate!" Jisoo groans from inside the room.  "I'll be out in a few."  

 

Yoongi and Seungjun's eyes meet when they hear the door to the bathroom shut.  "Lemme talk to you, mister," he sticks out his chest and walks forward, backing Yoongi further into the hallway before he closes the door behind them.  

 

"Please, call me Yoongi."

 

Seungjun shakes his head and folds his arms across his chest, "I'll stick with mister for now."  

 

 _Cute_ , Yoongi thinks. 

 

He would actually be a little intimidated if Jisoo's little brother didn't have such a baby face.  Yoongi straightens his posture and braces himself for Seungjun's oncoming interview.  

 

"So, what's the move tonight?"  

 

"Excuse me?" Yoongi starts.  He knows he isn't that much older than the boy standing in front of him, but _is this the new slang the kids are using nowadays?_   Yoongi crinkles his forehead, "I am sorry but, 'what's the move'?  I am not sure what that is supposed to mea—"  

 

The boy rolls his eyes.  "What I mean is what are you planning on doing with my sister tonight."  

 

Oh.  

 

"We both made plans to go to dinner tonight," Yoongi clears his throat.  "Together," he quickly adds.  "She told me to meet her here to escort her."  

 

Seungjun seems to be okay with that answer, then he tilts his head to the side with a raised eyebrow and steps closer.  "And what exactly do you plan on doing _after_ dinner, mister?  As Jisoo's brother, I am asking you what makes you any different from the other men on this ship."  

 

"W-well, I, uh," Yoongi stammers at the implication of Seungjun's words.   

 

He's no stranger to dating, but there's no way he would ever move that fast with any woman, especially not with his soulmate. 

 

Yoongi knows Jisoo's brother loves her very much and Yoongi knows that Seungjun is doing the best he can to protect his sister.   

 

"I plan on simply getting to know her throughout the night—not the _whole_ night, of course, I will be considerate of when she wants to call it a night, but," Yoongi takes a deep breath and looks Seungjun steadily in his eyes, "Listen, your sister and I are soulmates.  I know some people can take the strength of their compasses lightly, but do not marginalize me with those people because I care very much for your sister.  I know we don't know each other very well, Seungjun, but please be assured when I say that I intend on treating Jisoo like she deserves."  

 

The air is still between them.  

 

Seungjun studies Yoongi for a while with a hard face. 

 

He glances at the flowers in Yoongi's hand and cracks a small smile.  "Roses.  Those are her favorite.  She's going to love that," he clasps a hand around Yoongi's shoulder and Yoongi beams.  "Your hair is a little strange, but I guess you're not so bad, Yoongi," he lightly laughs.  

 

Yoongi smiles, "Neither are you."  

 

The door opens. 

 

"Thank you so much for the dress, Mrs. Sowon, you are truly a lifesaver," Jisoo bows to a woman Yoongi recognizes as the nurse Seungjun was talking with earlier today.  

 

"It was a pleasure, dear," Sowon says as she gently combs her fingers through Jisoo's hair one last time.  "Have fun tonight, but don't over do it, okay?  Don't forget to apply the ointment I gave before you go to sleep tonight," she waves as she makes her way down the hall.  

 

Jisoo closes the door behind her and Yoongi is speechless.  "Are you two on good terms now?" she asks, smiling from the doorway.  

 

"I guess we are," Seungjun glances at Yoongi before turning to his sister.  "Don't worry, I didn't try to beat him up this time, we were just having a civilized conversation and—"  

 

Yoongi tunes out the sound of Seungjun's voice in favor of admiring Jisoo standing before him. 

 

He swears the lights in the hallway have dimmed somehow, pushing Seungjun out his line of sight and casting a single spotlight on his soulmate, _my soulmate_ , Yoongi thinks.   

 

Once Yoongi is done gazing into Jisoo's eyes as she listens to her brother, he lets his eyes drift over her face.  She's wearing a little bit of makeup, Yoongi notices, and it is just enough to enhance her natural features without overdoing it. 

 

He sees that her [hair](https://78.media.tumblr.com/dcc81e15faffd47887f0fa8c4369e1dd/tumblr_petpq1DgRF1wyn32ko1_500.jpg) is down, falling behind her shoulders and the upper half is pinned back with her bags fanning across her forehead.  Yoongi wonders how she can fit so much hair under a flimsy hat.   

 

Yoongi's eyes wander lower and the [dress](https://78.media.tumblr.com/452a29924f050ba87c577d5df09d3037/tumblr_p8g0a9UQ8f1wyn32ko1_500.jpg) Jisoo is wearing tonight screams elegance and simplicity.  He's sure his favorite color is purple now because it compliments Jisoo's skin so well.  The neckline is high so Yoongi chooses to be seduced by the soft shape of her collarbones peaking above the fabric. 

 

The dress is fitting her in all the right places and Yoongi is glad no one has noticed how his eyes have lingered a little too long at how the dress fits around her small waist. 

 

Her whole style reminds him so much of his mother and Yoongi is sure there isn't a hole deep enough to measure how far he has fallen for—  

 

"Earth to Min Yoongi," Jisoo calls as she waves a hand in front of Yoongi's face. 

 

The shadows fade away and Yoongi adapts to the brightness. 

 

"How about you come back down and land that plane, Mr. Min," she smirks.  "You were sky-high for a moment there.  You even missed Seungjun leave."  

 

"I apologize," he blushes.  He almost forgot about the flowers he is tightly holding.  "I-I thought you would like these," he offers Jisoo the bouquet of roses.  

 

"Thank you, these are my favorite," Jisoo sweetly says and Yoongi makes a mental note to have his gardeners plant the most impressive rose garden for Jisoo when he returns home.

 

"You look very handsome tonight, Min Yoongi."  

 

"And you are indescribably beautiful, Kim Jisoo," Yoongi says as he holds his arm out for Jisoo to take.  "Shall we?"  

 

She links her arm with his and looks into his eyes, "We shall."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**SOWON**

 

Sowon opens the door to her family's suite.  She drags her feet across the floor, ankles sore from standing all day in the sick bay.

  
   
"Mama!" her son runs to hug her, wrapping his arms around her hips and propping his chin against her belly.  "Daddy let me stay with him all day in the control room!  It was so cool!  He let me steer the boat for a little while, too!"

  
   
Sowon ruffles his dark hair and he giggles.  "Oh, really?" she says, matching his energy as she lovingly cradles his head in her hands.  "I bet you had a lot of fun with your father today, huh?"

  
   
"Mhm!" he nods.  "I wanna be just like him when I grow up."

 

Sowon smiles sadly at her son.  She's proud of him for being so ambitious at his young age, but she can't help but think of the painful strain Jin's career has put on their relationship. 

 

She thinks her husband strives for success in ways that make him obsessive and greedy, repeating his actions over and over until he gets it right. 

  
   
Jin and Sowon have come a long way.  They met near the end of the war twenty years ago.  Sowon was just sent to help with the overflow of soldiers coming into the small hospital on the countryside in Busan and Jin needed shrapnel removed from his leg along with a few stitches.  Jin's gurney was rolled over to her station and their compasses can tell you what happened next.

  
   
They spent most nights apart right after they were married, but they made it work despite the distance.  Right after the war ended, Jin wanted to go back to the academy to earn his credentials to rank as a ship captain. 

 

Sowon almost lost it the night Jin sat her down and told her his plans because she wanted so badly to have a child with him. 

 

After years of long work hours and waiting, she doesn't regret a thing because she and Jin created the most precious baby, and Sowon loves her husband and her child dearly. 

  
   
She hears a low voice humming from their shared bedroom. 

 

"How about you go play while I speak with your father, then I'll come and help you get ready for tonight," Sowon says and her son runs off to his room. 

 

She cracks the door open and moves behind her husband to wrap her arms around his torso as he finishes buttoning his shirt in the mirror.

  
   
"You look like you had a long day," he says as places his hands over hers.  "Did you just get off work?  You're usually here earlier than this."

  
   
Sowon replies with a groan and cuddles into the warmth of Jin's back.  She promised Seungjun she wouldn't she tell Jin about Jisoo, so she keeps quiet.

  
   
"Tell me.  Something is worrying you," Jin says and she knows Jin can read her like an open book.

 

On top of worrying about Jisoo, she's worried about Namjoon.  When she saw those stray flower petals resting near Namjoon's pillowcase and heard his aggressive coughs, she put two and two together. 

 

She thought Hanahaki disease was just a myth, but now she knows it's real.

  
   
"It's Namjoon," she says instead.  "I think I know what he has...but there's absolutely nothing I can do about it—I gave him that stupid cough medicine.  It will barely help him," Sowon shakes her head against Jin's broad shoulder.

  
   
Jin sighs and gives a reassuring squeeze to her hands.  "We both know cruise ships don't carry certain medicines like hospitals do.  I know you're used to that."

  
   
"Yeah, all we have here is cheap pain pills and Band-Aids."

  
   
Jin laughs at that, "That isn't going to heal Namjoon's chest cold."

  
   
_But it isn't a chest cold._

  
   
"Japanese hospitals are more advanced than ours, I am sure he will find someone to help him when dock tomorrow night," Jin says.

  
   
Sowon releases her hold on Jin and he turns to face her.  "You don't sound so worried about him," she says, furrowing her eyebrows.

  
   
"I am worried about him, Sowon," he says as he gently places a hand on the side of her neck, his thumb caressing the skin just above her jaw.  "All we can do right now is check in on him when we can.  His body might be feeling the effects of mourning for his father.  You saw how he was when he talked about him.  He's gotten worse since the last time he visited his father, and this winter weather isn't helping."

  
   
"You may be right," Sowon says.  "I should go get ready for tonight," she walks towards their bed and unbuttons the collar of her nursing outfit.

  
   
"Here, let me help," Jin offers. 

 

He undoes the bow tied around her lower back and gently pulls at the collar of her dress, revealing Sowon's bare shoulders.  Jin begins leaving soft kisses along the skin there, trailing his lips up the column of her neck as her dress eventually falls to the floor and pools around her feet.  He wraps his arms around her front and pulls her flush against his chest. 

  
   
Sowon deeply breathes as she angles her head to give him more access to her skin and she reaches behind, tangling her fingers in his hair.  "Honey, we can't do this right now."

  
   
Jin chuckles against her skin, "Your body is telling me differently."  He lets her go and Sowon turns around, resting her hands on Jin's chest as she presses a chaste kiss to his lips.  "We can continue this after dinner," she playfully pushes Jin onto their bed.

  
   
Jin silently agrees and playfully winks.  He stands and moves to put on his dinner coat before walking through the bedroom door, "I'll be in the lobby greeting the guests while you get ready.  We can walk into the ballroom together once you and Jihoon come down."

  
   
"Alright," Sowon says she walks into their bathroom.  She knows Jin is watching her backside, as she is only wearing her undergarments.  She turns to Jin and smiles at him before she closes the door, "I love you, very much so."

  
   
"And I love you back," he sincerely replies, "Very much so," and he closes the door with a soft click.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**JIN**

 

Jin walks out into the hallway and closes the door behind him. 

 

He smiles at the thought of what luxurious dress his wife will be wearing tonight.  Sowon is always surprising him with the latest fashions and he loves it because she looks good in anything.

 

"Hey, Jin," Namjoon calls for him with a grin.  His shirt is unbuttoned, revealing a dirty undershirt, and his hair is slightly unkempt.  Namjoon cleans dark oil off of his hands with a soiled handkerchief as he walks.

 

"Well, you look better," Jin smiles as he greets Namjoon with a firm handshake.

 

"I feel better, too," Namjoon nods.  "The medicine Sowon gave me is really helping with the cough."

 

"That is good to hear."

 

"I actually came here looking for you.  I am sure you were told about the weather having an effect on the engine room?"

 

"Yes, I was informed about that," Jin says flatly.  He knows Namjoon is going to ask him to come down to the engine with him.

 

A pang of nervousness rushes through him and, for some odd reason, Jin would rather stay ignorant of the situation concerning the engine room.  Although Jin has been working as a captain of many ships for the last nine years, he's never had to personally face complications with a ship like this.

 

"I know you and your family are expected in the main ballroom for dinner tonight, but this won't take long, I promise," Namjoon says.

 

Jin follows Namjoon down to the engine room.  He loosens his tie due to the accumulating heat in the room.

 

"Namjoon, Captain," Mr. Lee curtly greets.  "I'll just say it straight.  The ship's engine is giving all it's got due to the recent drop in temperature.  I am no stranger to working with such a fresh engine such as this one, but because this is a new engine, we have to overwork it to keep the ship moving and the heat in the ship circulating."

 

"There should be no problem then," Jin says.  Jin knows if they keep the engine running, everything should be fine and they can make repairs when they dock inland.

 

"We're shoveling as much coal as we can down here, but this could become a problem if the weather remains unforgiving," Mr. Lee sighs.

 

"Look around, Jin," Namjoon speaks.  "Mr. Lee's men should be sweating and wearing only their undershirts but—"

 

"They're wearing their full work outfits," Jin finishes for Namjoon as he looks around the room.  Jin is suffering in this heat, but the men working around the room look somewhat comfortable.

 

"This room can get as hot as the surface of the sun, but it's like a sauna this evening," Mr. Lee remarks.  "This isn't a major concern at the moment, we should be able to have the engine working efficiently until we dock tomorrow."

 

"I will make orders for repairs by then," Jin says.  "If that is all, I need to make my way back upstairs.  Please call me if you need anything down here."

 

Mr. Lee nods, "Will do," and then he dismisses himself.

 

"Namjoon," Jin calls over his shoulder as he makes his way to the stairs.  "You should be getting ready for tonight."

 

The younger shakes his head, "I think I'll skip out on the dinner tonight, with all due respect."

 

"I am not taking no for answer, Namjoon," Jin shakes his head. "Your cough may be gone, but you look like you haven't eaten today."

 

Namjoon's stomach loudly growls and Jin tries not to laugh at Namjoon's embarrassment.  "I kept myself so busy today, I didn't realize how hungry I was."

 

Jin moves to pat Namjoon on his back and smiles, "Come on.  Get changed and meet me in the main ballroom.  Don't try anything," Jin playfully warns.  "Sowon wants to see you, too.  She's been worried about you all day."

 

"Yer, sir," Namjoon shyly nods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

**SOLBIN**

 

Solbin walks into the band's shared dressing room, her dress hangs on her arm and her makeup box hangs on the other. 

 

She looks around, only to see the four other female vocalists getting ready for the show.

 

"Where are the boys?  Call time is in a few minutes," Solbin says.

 

"They are all getting ready in Jimin's room tonight," Soyeon answers.  "Said something about a ritual."

 

"They're probably hazing Jungkook since he's new," Haein laughs.

 

Solbin rolls her eyes and sighs.  She sets her small makeup box at her vanity table and spots a flower resting on its surface.  "Who is this for?"

 

"It is yours, silly.  Tall, Dark, and Handsome came in earlier and said it was for you," Haein smirks.

 

Solbin sees her name written across the top of the envelope lying bedside the flower.  She breaks the seal and opens the card.

 

_I hope that this isn't too cliché._

_Please enjoy this white rose._

_I am_ _looking forward to what you sing tonight._

_\- with the utmost sincerity, Kim Namjoon_

 

Solbin breathes through her nose and lowers the card onto the table.  She'll admit the flower and the card are nice, and no one has ever done this for her before. 

 

Maybe he isn't so bad— _no, no, no!_

 

Before she can even think about her compass, she quickly changes into her [dress](https://78.media.tumblr.com/1b8e0a2cfbfe6e88509846826fab68fd/tumblr_p8jvbxKL1M1wyn32ko1_500.jpg) and plops down in her seat, glaring at the flower.  She's mentally exhausted from putting up with herself today. 

 

She dodged every room on the ship where she would normally see Namjoon.  She can't face him right now, especially not after last night.

 

Solbin looks at her hands in her lap. 

 

She starts to pick at her nails until her fingers are forced apart by her compass.  Anger rises in Solbin and before it's overtaken by another feeling.  She feels like she being pulled towards something, she feels like she needs to leave the room, she feels like she needs to go find Namjoon and—

 

"Hey, Solbin…  Are you alright?"

 

She looks up to see Jinye steadily eyeing her, worry lacing her eyebrows.  Jinye's hair is currently overtaken by curling rods, she's swaddled in a soft robe, and her face is bare. 

 

Solbin thinks Jinye looks the cutest when she isn't wearing any makeup and she actually looks her age.

 

Solbin tries to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.  "It's nothing to worry you about," Solbin says with a tight smile and realization rushes over Jinye's face.

 

Despite their close friendship, Solbin and Jinye are always on thin ice when it comes to the topic of relationships, and especially soulmates.  Jinye is too busy falling for every boy she sees while Solbin is avoiding every relationship that isn't platonic.

 

Jinye is seventeen, so Solbin blames Jinye's fascination with love on her young age, and becoming the older sister figure in Jinye's life came easily.  They met the day after Solbin arrived on the boat, bumping into each other at the breakfast bar, and they have been inseparable ever since.

 

Solbin has only gone so far to tell Jinye about her past relationships and how she feels about her compass, but Solbin often closes herself off when the conversation gets too hard to carry.  Solbin feels sorry towards her best friend.

 

"Oh, okay," Jinye says carefully.  She tightens her fingers around the music sheets she's holding.  "I was wondering if you could help me with some of the notes in the first song we're singing tonight.  I cannot seem to get them to save my life."

 

Solbin cracks a small smile, "Sure thing."  She can tell Jinye is trying to distract Solbin from all turmoil unfolding in her mind.  "How about you sing what you are having trouble with so I can hear what you think you are getting wrong."

 

Jinye clears her throat and sings, "The situation is changing, now I’m curious about you."

 

"Ah, okay," Solbin says.  She sings through the line the correct way and Jinye repeats it back to her.

 

Jinye's face lights up, "I got it now!  Thank you!"

 

"No problem, birthday girl," Solbin playfully says.

 

Jinye squirms at the nickname, "My birthday isn't until midnight!"

 

Solbin laughs as Jinye runs to change her into her dress.  "Hey, don't forget about the ad-libs towards the end of the song.  You're in charge of those this time."

 

"Don't remind me," she groans as she slips her feet into her dress and pulls it up to her chest, "I am so nervous about that."

 

"Don't worry, you got this," Soyeon says as she helps Jinye with the zipper on the back of her dress.

 

"Yeah, you did so well during practice this morning," Yujeong chimes in and Jinye bashfully smiles as Soyeon finishes adjusting her dress.

 

Solbin turns back to her mirror starts applying her makeup while the other girls do the same.  A few moments pass by before she hears deep giggles coming from outside of the room.

 

The door bursts open and Jimin greets the girls with open arms and a cheeky smile, "You ladies do not have to worry anymore, the men are here!"

 

"We weren't worried," Haein says flatly.

 

"Jimin, are you drunk?" Yujeong asks.

 

"No…  Well, I _might_ be a little tipsy," Jimin says as he makes his way to the coat rack, "I'll sober up before we go on stage."

 

Solbin is applying the last of her mascara when Jungkook jogs into the room and Namjoon flies out of her mind.  He moves behind Solbin, desperately running his hands through his windswept hair in her mirror.

 

Solbin isn't gonna lie, Jungkook looks kinda attractive with wind-swept hair.  "You look like you just escaped a storm," she says instead.

 

"You could say that," Jungkook sighs.  "The guys had me run outside in my underwear.  Jimin said something about me needing to be initiated into the band."

 

"Jimin!" Solbin yells.

 

"What's done is done," Jimin says from the other side of the room.

 

Solbin looks at Jungkook through the mirror, "I would be happy to beat Jimin up for you, all you have to do is ask."

 

"I wouldn’t ask you to do that.  The guys are fun and it was nice to let go after such a long time," Jungkook laughs and Solbin smiles.  Jungkook runs a frustrated hand over his scalp.

 

Solbin stands, "Here, let me help."  She runs her fingers through his hair before reaching for a comb. 

 

_Oh my God, his hair is so soft!_

 

"Never imagined I'd have to be done up like this," Jungkook says.

 

"Well, you’re a part of this band now, so you'll have to get used to it.  Close your eyes for me," she grabs her hairspray and lightly sprays the product over Jungkook's head.  She smooths the comb through his hair and parts his bangs, revealing more of his face and Solbin almost melts.

 

"I guess so," he smiles and Solbin does, in fact, melt.

 

She slightly shakes her head and reaches for the fabric hanging around Jungkook's neck.

 

He gently grabs her wrists to stop her, "Woah, I got this part, Solbin.  I may not know how to do my own hair, but I definitely know how to tie a tie," he jokes.

 

 _His hands are soft, too!_  

 

Solbin just now realizes how close she is to the man in front of her.  "Of course," she waves off as she takes a step back.  "I am just so used to helping the other boys with their ties.  I guess it is a habit now."

 

Jungkook ties a bow around his neck and looks at himself in the mirror, "Wow…  I look totally different—in a good way, of course."

 

"Yeah," Solbin says longingly.  She goes to the clothing rack and grabs for a coat.  She comes back and holds the coat open for Jungkook to put on.  Solbin feels eyes on her and she knows it's probably Jimin, "You look handsome."

 

Jungkook puts his arms through the sleeves, adjusting the collar as he turns back to Solbin and smiles, "As do you—I mean, you look beautiful—you are a woman and women should be called beautiful," Jungkook flusters.  "I may have to come to you every time to get dolled up," he laughs.

 

Solbin stomach drops because Jungkook just gave her more opportunities to touch his hair, more importantly, having more opportunities to be close to him.

 

"Thank you again, Solbin," he politely says as he rushes off to the boys on the other side of the room.

 

"Alright," Hoseok yells.  "Everyone gather 'round!"  Everyone forms a semi-circle in front of the pianist as he announces, "The violinists are almost done with their set, so that means we're up next.  I know we all learned a new song in a very short amount of time, so I placed stands in front of everyone's chairs and I made sure to make some more copies of the music sheets so everyone has an individual copy."

 

"Thanks, dad!" Jimin smiles.

 

Everyone chuckles and Hoseok unsuccessfully glares at Jimin.  He checks his pocket watch, "We have a few more minutes before we go on, so finish getting ready!"

 

The crowd disperses and Solbin joins the girls to chat with them before she goes to check on her appearance in the mirror for the last time.  She smooths down a few stray hairs and she powders her nose.

 

Solbin feels oddly nervous tonight.  She looks at herself in the mirror and furrows her eyebrows. 

 

 _Is it because we are doing a new song?_ she thinks.  _Maybe it's Jungkook?_  

 

She looks at the boy to him playing around with Jimin.  Solbin can admit that gets butterflies in her stomach every time she sees him, this feeling is different.

 

She turns back to her reflection in the mirror. 

 

_Is it Namjoon?_

 

A violent wave of nervousness hits Solbin in her gut and she doubles over, holding herself against the table with one hand and her other cupping her belly.  Her compass suddenly appears in her hand, the metal hot against her skin and it begins to pull against her hand, reminding her that she needs to follow it. 

 

Solbin winces and drops the compass to the floor.

 

"Solbin!" Jinye rushes over and Solbin quickly kicks her compass under the table. "Are you alright?  Are you feeling sick?  Do you need to lie down—"

 

Solbin inhales through her nose and stands, "No, no.  I am fine," she waves off.  "Cramps, is all," she lies and Jinye takes her bait.

 

"The violinists are done and the curtain just closed, everyone is going out onstage now," she says wearily.

 

"Okay.  Give me a moment and I'll be right out," Solbin breathes and Jinye hesitantly leaves to join the others.

 

Solbin bends to pick up her compass and she places it on the table before her.  She stares at it only for a moment before she exits the dressing room.

 

 

 

The crowd is suddenly applauding and Solbin doesn’t even realize that the song just ended.

 

"Isn't this band so great at what they do?  Please give them another round of applause," Hoseok happily says. 

 

The cheers and claps are even louder and Hoseok looks to the band, giving them two thumbs up and a bright smile. 

 

"We will go on to the next song," Hoseok says as Jungkook stands and lowers acoustic guitar to its stand before he places his chair next to Solbin's.  They both smile at each other as he sits. 

 

Hoseok runs his hands over the key and nods to Jungkook.

 

Solbin looks over to Jungkook, only to find him already looking at her and her stomach drops below sea level.

 

Jungkook starts the song, slightly swaying in his seat as he closes his eyes and immerses himself in the song.

 

Solbin almost misses her part of the verses before she raises the microphone to her lips.  She furrows her eyebrows when an unfamiliar feeling comes over her again.

 

For some reason, all she can think about is Namjoon right now.  Her eyes gravitate toward the balcony and she sees Namjoon sitting with the Captain's family, his eyes gazing softly at her.

 

That nervous feeling rushes over her and she quickly lowers her head before she sings, "I thought I'd never fall in love, but I'm in love."

 

Jungkook sings his next line to the crowd and all the women swoon.

 

"You came over me like a strong wave, and now you're deep inside of my heart," Solbin sings out and she remembers that night Namjoon approached her and told her that he was her soulmate.

 

Solbin wants to give her compass and Namjoon a chance, but she's so scared.  Being blind and having a one-sided crush on someone is starting to its toll her.

 

"And now, I'm so in love," Jungkook and Solbin sing the last line of the song and she looks up just in time to see Namjoon mouthing the same lyrics back down to her.

 

The crowd stands and cheers for the duo.  Solbin and Jungkook stand as they take each other by the hand and bow, just like they practiced earlier this morning.

 

"I would like to introduce a new member we just added to our band.  This is the talented Jeon Jungkook, everyone," Hoseok motions.

 

The crowd welcomes a shy Jungkook who is bowing to the audience, but his demeanor slightly changes when he winks.  Solbin follows his gaze, only to see a girl widely smiling back at him.

 

 _I guess what Jimin said about Jungkook having a girl is true._  

 

Solbin's heart falters a little.  The girl looks so much more put together than Solbin is.  She looks absolutely perfect for Jungkook.

 

 _It's not like I had a chance with him anyway._  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**YERI**

 

Yeri rests her chin in the palm of her hand as she watches Jungkook talk to his band mates between sets.

 

It's her first time hearing him sing since they met on the ship.  Yeri insisted he sing for her before he got on stage tonight, but he wanted to surprise her. 

 

 _His voice is beautiful_ , she thinks. 

 

And she can't deny that her stomach dropped when he flashed that handsome wink at her earlier. 

 

Jungkook's hair looks a little different tonight and she finds it endearing.  His hair is swept back right now, but she loves how it naturally falls over his forehead.

 

"Yeri," her mother swats her hand down on the dining table, making everyone flinch at her sudden movement.  "Where is your head, girl?  Your mother-in-law has asked you a question."

 

"Oh," Yeri straightens her posture when she remembers where she is.  She looks around to see everyone wearily eyeing her.  "I apologize," she hurriedly says to Taehyung's mother.  "I guess I wasn't paying a attention," she tries to laugh off.  "What was it that you were asking?"

 

Taehyung's mother worriedly looks between Yeri and her mother before leaning forward with a soft smile.  "It is quite alright, dear.  I was wondering what kind of flowers you would like, for the wedding."

 

Yeri is caught off guard by that question.  She looks over Taehyung's mother's shoulder and spots a vase on the table behind her.  "Lilies," she lies.

 

"Ah, splendid," she clasps her hands together with an even bigger smile.  "Such a nice flower!"

 

"Perfect for a January wedding," Taehyung's father joins.

 

Taehyung loudly sighs as he cuts into his steak.

 

"We could just use them as decoration," his mother offers after she pauses to look to eye her son.  "The flowers for your wedding bouquet can be decided on at a later time."

 

"Right," Yeri says halfheartedly. 

 

Her soon-to-be in-laws seem so excited about their son's engagement and she feels bad.  Taehyung's parents are really sweet and she doesn't want to hurt their feelings with the secret she's holding.

 

"Things will be a little different tonight," the pianist announces as he begins to lightly play on his piano.  "The band will join you all the on the dance floor tonight."

 

Yeri and Jungkook automatically make eye contact with one another and Yeri's compass faintly vibrates in her lap.

 

"Go on," the pianist encourages the band.  "You all only hang around each other.  Go dance and find new friends tonight!"

 

Yeri takes another look at her soulmate before Taehyung speaks up.

 

"Yeri, would you like to dance with me?" he says loud enough for the whole table to hear.  His mother jumps in her seat at the sudden volume of his voice.

 

 _No_ , she wants so badly to say, but the hopeful looks both of their parents are giving them forces her to say yes. 

 

She reluctantly slips her hand into Taehyung's with a tight smile.  He places a kiss on her knuckles and everyone swoons at them.  Yeri wants to throw up.

 

Taehyung walks them into the crowd on the dance floor and Yeri keeps eye contact with Jungkook as he descends the stage, but she loses him once he steps foot into the crowd.  Taehyung pulls Yeri against his chest and wraps his arm around her lower back. 

 

She liked the scent of his cologne before, but it is starting to suffocate her.

 

"Taehyung, we don't have to dance.  You're clearly upset about something," she says as she tries to pull away.

 

"Ah, ah, ah," Taehyung warns as he tightens his hold on her.  "You don't want to cause a scene in front of our parents, do you?"

 

"No," Yeri grits her teeth. 

 

She knows her mother is watching her.  She always is.  Yeri bites down on her jaw and lets Taehyung lead as they dance.

 

"I think it is best if you tell me the truth, Yeri," he says out of nowhere.

 

Yeri's eyes widen in surprise.  "What—"

 

"You've found your soulmate, haven't you?  It was that man you were dancing with last night, wasn't it?"

 

Yeri is speechless.  

 

"We have been dating for a while and you say you love me, but has that changed since you found your soulmate?" Taehyung asks, but before Yeri can open her mouth to answer, Taehyung continues talking.  "My parents mentioned that love comes with time in arranged marriages.  It seemed to have worked for them."

 

"I no longer choose to believe that," Yeri retorts.

 

"Then what do you believe?" Taehyung challenges.  "In true love?  That your compass will give you this made-up happily-ever-after that you blindly seek.  Come back to reality.  Not everyone ends up with their soulmate, and it is just as rare for people to follow their compasses.  You may be two years younger than me, but I find that you are just as naïve as a child."

 

She blinks away the tears threatening to well in her eyes.  This is a new side of her fiance that she is seeing. 

 

"I am not naïve," Yeri whispers.  

 

"Answer me this.  Who, other than yourself, do you know that has found their soulmate?"

 

"Yoongi's parents were soulmates," Yeri quietly answers.  "A-and Yoongi just recently found his."

 

Taehyung falters at that a little before he composes himself.  "Other than Yoongi and his parents, who else?"

 

"No one else," she replies.  "That's all I know of." 

 

Yeri is starting to realize the truth.  She barely knows anything about soulmates.  No one in Yeri's family tree is known to have followed their compass.

 

"Take a look around," Taehyung turns them in a circle as Yeri looks at the other couples around them.  "You think all these people here are all bonded?" Taehyung laughs.  "People only find their soulmates in children's books, and even on the rare occasion that they do find their soulmate in real life, the success rate of bonded pairs is calculated to be very low."

 

Yeri looks down and says nothing.  Taehyung's words are very convincing, especially when she's heard these exact words from her mother before.

 

"You may think what I am telling you is mean, but I am saying all of this to wake you up before your soulmate ends up not meeting your high expectations and disappoints you," Taehyung softly warns.

 

Yeri feels like she's been slapped in the face.

 

Taehyung sighs, "I can give you anything and everything you want if you marry me.  Your soulmate may give you the love that you want right now, but love doesn't pay the bills, love doesn't feed you when you are hungry.  We both come from families of wealth and power and influence, and sadly, that is all we know."

 

Yeri opens her mouth to say something, anything, but she feels like Taehyung is right.

 

"We were born to continue our families' legacy, so why would you willingly fall out of the security of your inheritance into the unknown?" he asks.

 

The song ends and the crowd begins to clap around them.  Everything seems so far away and Yeri can't focus on anything.

 

"I would like to call the instrumentalists back on stage for the next number," the pianist announces in the distance.

 

_I am saying all of this to wake you up before Jungkook ends up not meeting your high expectations, and disappoints you..._

 

"Yeri?"

 

Yeri looks up to see Jungkook standing in front of her with concern masking his features.  She didn’t even notice Taehyung leave her side.

 

"Are you alright?" he reaches for her hand, but she steps out of his reach.  Yeri doesn't miss the hurt look on his face.

 

"I-I'm fine," she crosses her arms over her chest.  "I just need some air."

 

"Alright," Jungkook says as he shrugs off his coat.  "Let's get some air then."  He places his coat on Yeri's shoulders and she wraps the thick fabric around her, feeling his warmth embracing her. 

 

"What about the band?  Don't you have to go play?" she asks.

 

"No," he replies.  "I'm not needed for the rest of the performance tonight."  Jungkook leads her through the crowd, keeping a light hand on her lower back.  He opens the door to the deck and they walk into the cold of the night.  "It is freezing out here.  I'm surprised it isn't snowing," he remarks.

 

Yeri quickly turns to him, "You should take your coat back—"

 

"No, you need it more than me," Jungkook stops Yeri before she can take off his coat.  "Besides, we won't be staying out here for long."

 

Jungkook makes his way to the railing and leans over it as Yeri stands behind him.  She takes in his frame during the silence hanging between them.  His clothes are a little ill-fitting like he borrowed them.  His hair is slightly overgrown in the back, he's in dire need of a haircut.

 

_We both come from families of wealth and power and influence, and sadly, that is all we know..._

 

Yeri curses at herself for being so nitpicky about Jungkook's appearance and his clothes, it's almost as if being judgmental is ingrained in her, no matter how hard she tries not to be.

 

"I can tell you are upset about something," Jungkook calmly says, keeping his back to her.  "What were you and that man talking about earlier?"

 

"N-nothing."

 

"Well, it didn't look that way.  You literally had tears in your eyes when I saw you," he turns to her.  "Did he make you cry? I swear if he—"

 

"He wouldn't have made me cry if you didn't take your sweet time getting to me!" Yeri lashes out.

 

Jungkook fully turns to Yeri, "Are you seriously blaming how you feel on me?  I was on my way to you, but these two guards came up to me, started asking me questions.  They kept wanting to know who I was and why I was on the ship.  I had to get someone to verify my identity to them.  Are you going to tell me what is wrong or not?  And who is he to you?  I saw you sitting with him while I was playing on stage."

 

"He's..." Yeri looks at the floor and tightens her hands on Jungkook's coat.  "He's my fiance." 

 

She shivers. 

 

She feels just as cold as the wind blowing around her.

 

Jungkook looks at her for a while before he begins to walk away and Yeri snaps her head at his sudden movement. 

 

"Wait, Jungkook, let me explain—"

 

He stops and faces Yeri.  He clenches his jaw before asking, "You didn't think to tell me this earlier?  God, Yeri, I'm supposed to be your soulmate!"

 

"I'm sorry!" Yeri cries.  "I was going to tell you—"

 

"When?" Jungkook throws his hands in the air.  "When were you going to tell me, huh?  Were you going to wait and send me a wedding invitation in the mail?"

 

Yeri stays silent.  She couldn't find the right time to tell Jungkook the truth.

 

She feels warm hands cup her cheeks before she looks up to find Jungkook intently looking at her.  She tries to pull away, but Jungkook gently pulls her chin back in his direction.

 

"I know this is hard, but you're going to have to make a choice," he tells her.  Yeri opens her mouth to say something, but Jungkook shakes his head.  "You don't have to make your decision right now.  Let's just..." he runs a frustrated hand through his hair, "Let's just spend whatever time we have left right now."

 

Yeri silently nods and she follows Jungkook when turns to walk to the head of the deck and she watches as he steps up onto the platform anchoring the large rope holding the ship's sails. 

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"Shh," he silences her.  "Give me your hand."

 

Yeri places her small hand into his larger one and Jungkook pulls her gently towards him. 

 

"Close your eyes," he says, a small smile forming on his lips, and Yeri does so.  She feels Jungkook step behind her as he guides her to step onto the platform.  He wraps a warm hand around her hip and she smiles.  "Now, hold on to the railing," he instructs.  "And keep your eyes closed, Yeri, don't peek!"

 

"I'm not peeking!" she laughs.

 

"Step onto the railing," he says.

 

"O-okay," Yeri shakily says.  She steps onto the railing as she hesitantly releases her hands from the metal.  She feels Jungkook's arms close around her and she grips onto them.

 

"Do you trust me?"

 

Yeri feels like the question he just asked runs deeper than the surface.  "I trust you."

 

Jungkook takes her hands and begins to spread her arms, his hands running from her forearms to underneath her palms.  "You told me you are afraid of heights, so I won't ask you to open your eyes.

 

Yeri lets her arms be spread wide and she gasps.  She can feel the cold wind rushing through her hair.  The waves are roaring beneath against the ship and she can taste the salt in the air. 

 

"I-I'm flying, Jungkook!" Yeri screams at the thrill running through her veins.  "I'm flying!"

 

For the first time, she knows what it feels like to be free, high above the water and over the clouds.  At this moment all of her worries are gone with the wind.

 

"Is this what being a bird feels like?" Yeri asks Jungkook.

 

"This is what being with you feels like being with you," he whispers in her ear.

 

Yeri lowers both of their arms and turns her head to look Jungkook in his eyes.  She doesn't know who initiated the kiss, but instead of the cold wind, she feels warm lips against hers.

 

Jungkook wraps his arms tighter and around Yeri's frame smiles into the kiss.

 

All of Yeri's worries drift away as Jungkook begins to kiss her neck.  She isn't worried about the cold winter air hitting her skin. 

 

She isn't worried about Taehyung's words. 

 

She isn't worried about her mother—

 

"Kim Yeri!  What on earth are you doing!"

 

Jungkook stumbles back from the railing and catches Yeri before she can fall.

 

Yeri's mother rushes forward with Taehyung jogging up behind her, his holding an unreadable expression.

 

"You are supposed to be inside with the rest of us.  We were all wondering where you were," her mother says angrily.

 

"Mother," Yeri tries.

 

"And who is this boy you are fraternizing with?" she says as she eyes Jungkook up and down, disgust pulling at the corners of her wrinkled mouth.

 

Yeri looks at Jungkook, worry in his eyes, and then to her mother before she looks to the floor, "H-his name Jungkook—"

 

"Speak up, Yeri," her mother says harshly.  "No one can understand you when you mumble your words!"

 

Yeri lifts her head and looks her mother straight in the eyes.  She grabs Jungkook's hand and steps forward, "Mother, this is my…soulmate.  Jeon Jungkook."

 

Jungkook glances at Yeri and quickly bows to her mother.  "I-It is nice to meet you."

 

Yeri wasn't expecting to share the news with her mother tonight.  She wanted to stay in her and Jungkook's bubble for a little longer before it popped.

 

Jungkook gives Yeri's hand a soft squeeze and she returns it.

 

"Well, isn't this unfortunate," Yeri's mother looks between the couple and jerks her head at Jungkook, "You, you may leave.  Your presence is no longer needed here."

 

 _No!_  

 

"No," Yeri says aloud and she surprises herself.  She's never told her mother no before.  "He is my soulmate, so I am staying with him.  He does not have to do what you say—"

 

Yeri feels fire explode across her face.  She holds her cheek and heat is searing from her skin.

 

"Oh, but _you_ do, Yeri," her mother says as she adjusts the glove on her hand.  "You have been acting up since we got on this ship.  I wonder what your father would think of your poor actions."

 

A sob crawls up Yeri throat and her body jerks with it, but she holds her breath to stop herself from crying.

 

Her mother crosses her arms and steps forward, almost trapping Yeri against the railing.  "Yeri, I am going to give you two choices, but neither one involves this boy," she flicks her hand at Jungkook.  "You will either return with me and Taehyung to the ballroom or you can retreat to your bedroom for the night, and you will not exit your room until I say so."

 

Yeri keeps her head down and all she wants to do is cry.  Her cheek feels like it's on fire.  She can't face Taehyung's family like this.  "I will go to my room," her voice cracks.

 

"Go now.  And rid yourself of that coat." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**NAMJOON**

 

Namjoon feels his compass vaguely begin to rise temperature in his pocket. 

 

It was ice cold when he woke up this morning, he's been worrying about it all day, but this could be a good sign for him.  He hopes.

 

Once the crowd settles down, the pianist leans into the microphone.  "Things will be a little different tonight," he begins to play the intro to the next song on his piano with a smile on his lips, "The band will join you all on the dance floor tonight."

 

Namjoon notices the band all give Hoseok an incredulous look.  Namjoon lightly chuckles at the chemistry between the band and their pianist.

 

"Go on," Hoseok encourages, "You all only hang around each other.  Go dance and find new friends tonight!"

 

Namjoon watches as a man approaches Solbin and jealousy runs through his veins.  She bows and smiles at the man.  He takes her hand and they begin to dance. 

 

Namjoon can see words forming on Solbin's lips, but he can't hear anything from up here.  He can't touch her from up here.

 

"You should go down there," Jin says to him.

 

Namjoon pops his head towards him, he doesn’t miss the playful smirk on Jin's lips.  Namjoon opens his mouth to make an excuse to stay seated but Jin interrupts him.

 

"My family and I are heading down there to dance," Jin says as he stands and takes his wife's hand. 

 

Jin's son runs around Namjoon's side of the table and begins to pull on his arm, telling him he should find a pretty girl to dance with.

 

Jin and Sowon exit the balcony and Namjoon lets their son pull him down the stairs. 

 

Namjoon is left alone on the dance floor when the little boy finds other children to play with.

 

Namjoon fills lonely despite all of the people currently crowding around him.  His throat is feeling a little itchy. 

 

He spots Jin and Sowon dancing together, sharing fond gazes with one another. 

 

He wishes he could have that.

 

He feels a light tap on his shoulder and finds Jinye shyly looking up at him.  "Oh.  Hello, Jinye."

 

"Mr. Kim," she bows.  "I was wondering if you would have the pleasure of dancing with me."

 

Namjoon looks around before he answers.  He doesn't see Solbin anywhere.  "It would be an honor," he says politely and Jinye slips her hand into his.

 

Namjoon places his hand on her upper back and Jinye rests her other hand atop his shoulder.  They sway from side to side and go around in a circle, keeping with the piano's tempo.

 

"So what do you like to do, Mr. Kim?"

 

"I like to read.  I spend most of my time doing that if I am not needed anywhere around the ship."

 

"Hm.  I'm not really into reading," she says offhandedly and Namjoon smiles at her adolescence.  "Ooh!  I like to watch movies!"

 

"I bet," Namjoon chuckles, trying to stifle a cough.

 

"We should go watch a movie together," she says brightly.

 

Namjoon frowns a little at that.  He knows Jinye is a minor, but she doesn't seem to notice that he is literally twice her age.  "I do not think that would be appropriate," he tries. 

 

He needs to cough.

 

"Why not?  I can be just as mature as the other women in here—"

 

"Jinye, let me dance with Mr. Kim," Solbin speaks.

 

Namjoon looks over and his stomach drops.  Solbin is standing before them with her arms crossed.

 

"But I haven't been dancing with him for long," Jinye wines.

 

"Your nose is looking a little oily, you should go and powder your face."

 

"Really?!" Jinye gasps and covers her nose.  "Oh my gosh, thank you for telling me!" and she rushes off to the nearest restroom.

 

Solbin takes a step in front of Namjoon, his compass is screaming for his soulmate.

 

The song dies down. 

 

Namjoon keeps his eyes on Solbin as she and the crowd turns to face the stage, clapping as Hoseok plays the final notes on his piano.

 

"I would like to call the instrumentalist back on stage for the next number," Hoseok announces.

 

Solbin turns to Namjoon, "Would you like to dance with me?" she asks timidly.

 

"Of course," he says a little too quickly and Solbin's eyes widen a fraction before she composes herself.

 

She takes another step towards Namjoon and a slower song begins to fill the room. 

 

His compass hums in delight as he wraps his hand around Solbin's.  He notices her hand fits so perfectly in his and he can tell Solbin is thinking the same thing as she stares at their hands linked between them.

 

Namjoons slips his other hand around Solbin's lower back and she slightly flusters at that.  "I-is this okay?" he asks.  He doesn't want to be rude.

 

"Yeah.  Just not used to that, is all," she says as she hesitantly wraps her other hand around his bicep.

 

Namjoon's eyebrows come together.  He wonders if the men in Solbin's past relationships have ever slow danced like this with her, or even treated her like the lady she is.

 

There's a comfortable silence between them as they start to move with the music.  Their eyes meet and Namjoon doesn't feel the urge to cough anymore.

 

"You should be saying thank you," Solbin says out of nowhere.

 

"For what, exactly?" Namjoon wonders, amused smile painting his lips.

 

"For saving you from Jinye," she laughs and Namjoon smiles at that sound.  "I'm sorry about her.  She's a little boy-crazy."

 

"All is well.  She is a nice girl."

 

Namjoon watches as Solbin picks a lone flower petal from his vest and he internally shrieks. 

 

He was coughing so much while getting ready earlier, he must have missed a few petals while cleaning them up off of his bedroom floor.  "I-I was in the flower shop earlier," he says nervously.

 

"Oh.  Thank you…  For the rose and the card.  That was very nice of you."

 

"I hope my gesture didn't come off as too cheesy," he says and Solbin gently smiles at him.

 

"No, no.  I, um, I liked it..." she says distantly.

 

"Good."  Namjoon can tell she's a bit conflicted, so he says nothing.

 

"We're throwing Jinye a birthday party downstairs afterwards, if you would like to come.  Everyone is going, even some of the engine crew will be there," she says.

 

Namjoon doesn't want to intrude.  "Only if you would like for me to come."

 

"I want you," Solbin squeezes his hand.  "To come with me to the party, I mean."

 

"I will be there then, with you," Namjoon agrees.

 

They make a full circle before Solbin speaks again. 

 

"N-Namjoon," she starts and Namjoon loves the way his name forms on her lips.  "I've been thinking...about us.  I'm terrified, without a doubt, but I think I want to try.  Try _us_ ," she emphasizes and Namjoon almost starts crying.

 

They stop swaying and Namjoon let's go of Solbin's hand to gently smooth her dark hair behind one of her ears.  She gazes into his eyes as he caresses her cheek with his thumb.

 

"Solbin, are you are sure?"  

 

 _She has to be sure_. 

 

He has to be sure that this what she wants.

 

She nods against his hand, a hint of tears forming in her eyes.  "Yes," she places her hand over his, "I'm sure.  What I did before…  That wasn't right.  I was trying so hard to reject you, but something suddenly came over me today and I just—what I was doing wasn't fair to either us.  I've been running from my compass for so long and I'm so tired," she sighs as a tear runs down her face and Namjoon is quick to catch it.  "I'm so sorry, Namjoon.  I didn't mean to hurt you, I'm just so scared."

 

"It's alright.  I understand," he comforts her.  "We don't have to jump straight into this.  Let's take our time okay?"

 

"Okay."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**JISOO**

 

Jisoo ends up being unsuccessful at trying to hide her wide smile as Yoongi pushes in her chair at the dining table. 

 

Her compass hums with warmth as it innocently lies in her lap.

 

They found a little table for two off to the side of the large ballroom near the bar.  Yoongi didn't want to sit around a table full of strangers and neither did Jisoo. 

 

She's happy they both have a love for privacy.

 

Jisoo places a napkin in her lap and Yoongi scoots his chair under the table once he is comfortably seated.  He rests his elbows on the table and laces his hands together. 

 

Yoongi looks up to meet Jisoo's gaze and he softly smiles at her.

 

"What is it?" Jisoo smiles back.

 

Yoongi's smile grows wider, all gums and teeth.  "Um, nothing," he says bashfully.  A bit of red is creeping up behind the collar of his white button-up and Jisoo finds herself being overly fond of that.

 

Jisoo has wanted nothing more than this.  She doesn't have to be worrying herself about being someone else tonight.  She can finally be herself tonight.  

 

She can finally feel like a woman tonight. 

 

Sure, pretending to be a boy is easy and laid-back and it has its perks considering the job she has, but now she has found another purpose other than constantly looking after her brother.  Her new purpose sits right across the table from her and she can't even believe it.

 

Speaking of believing in something, the fact that Jisoo is in a dress is far from reality.  Sowon made sure to lend Jisoo a dress that was more than comfortable and she did just that, but Jisoo is still getting used to the fabric as she keeps adjusting it.

 

"You look beautiful," Yoongi brings her out of her thoughts.

 

Jisoo lifts her head to him, finding her already looking at her.  Her heart beats under his fond gaze, but she finds comfort in it.  "You already told me that," Jisoo accuses with a giggle.

 

A waiter comes by their table and asks for what they would like.  Yoongi takes the reigns and orders for them both.  Jisoo is so used to doing things herself.  She takes a breath and lets herself be taken care of for once.

 

Yoongi reaches for a cloth napkin on his side of the table and folds it in his lap, "I hope what I ordered is alright with you."

 

"I think you know better about the selection on the menu than I do," Jisoo kindly waves him off.

 

"Is that so?" Yoongi tilts his head in question.  "But you've been on this ship longer than I have."

 

"That is true, but the engine room crew isn't allowed to eat in the ballroom," Jisoo absently plays with the hem of her napkin and shrugs, "They don't want us tracking in charcoal from the furnaces."

 

Yoongi furrows his eyebrows and his shoulders tense at that.  "Then where do you all eat?"

 

"There's a common room in one of the galleys that we are required to eat in," Jisoo sees the growing concern lacing Yoongi's features and she leans forward to reassure him, "Don't worry!  It's not as bad as you are making it seem in your mind."

 

"Oh," Yoongi seems to be okay with Jisoo's answer but his shoulders still seem to be tense.

 

The waiter who took their orders earlier comes back with a tray of food, another waiter comes around Jisoo's side of the table and places two wine glasses on the table.  Yoongi and Jisoo thank the waiters and quietly wait for them to leave before they begin to eat.

 

Jisoo looks down at the table.  There are so many forks and knives and spoons, and she has no idea they need so much silverware.

 

"Ah."  Seeing Jisoo's confusion, Yoongi points to one of the forks in front of her before he returns to his food.  "Use that one."

 

Jisoo smiles in slight embarrassment, "We are from two different worlds, aren't we?" she says.

 

Yoongi cuts into his steak with a light laugh.  "We may be, but the world decided to put us together for a reason, don't you think?"

 

Jisoo picks the fork farthest away from her plate.  "I think so," she agrees.

 

A comfortable silence falls on the couple as they eat, the sound of violins plays through the air as they enjoy each other's presence and the food.

 

Jisoo takes a small sip of her wine and her eyes begin to wander around the room.  

 

 _This is definitely different from where the crew usually eats_ , she thinks. 

 

She has always seen the ballroom in passing, either running an errand for Mr. Lee or being sent to find Namjoon, but she's never actually been inside of it.

 

Jisoo is internally applauding Namjoon for his architectural skills before her eyes fall on a girl a few tables away from her and Yoongi's.  The girl appears to be daydreaming, her chin resting in the palm of her hand and her eyes seem distant.

 

"That would be Kim Yeri, daughter of Kim World Shipping and Logistics," Yoongi suddenly speaks.  Before Jisoo can ask how Yoongi knows of her he speaks again, "Yeri is a good friend of mine.  We grew up together."

 

Jisoo briefly looks back to Yeri before returning to her soulmate, "Her mind seems to be elsewhere."

 

Yoongi follows Jisoo's gaze from Yeri to Jungkook.  "Oh, yes," he hums as he lifts his napkin to wipe at his mouth after taking a bite of his food, "She told me they met earlier.  I'm glad she's making friends."

 

"Who's the man beside her?"

 

"The man sitting beside her," he begins to explain with a hint of anger in his voice, "Is Kim Taehyung, heir to Kim Jewelers.  We also grew up together."

 

Jisoo looks to Yeri again and watches her jump out of her daydream state as a woman, who seems to be her mother based on their similar features, is scolding her.  Jisoo looks to the other people at the table and things begin to click.

 

"They're getting married next month," Yoongi informs Jisoo.

 

"Are they soulmates?"

 

Yoongi shakes his head.  "No, they're not."

 

Jisoo moves her eyes to Taehyung and his family.  She has been on this ship long enough to see countless young girls being considered as business transactions.  Jisoo has seen this ship become more of a place of short-lived affairs and company merges than anything else.

 

She looks to Taehyung again.  He looks no different from the other heirs that come on this ship looking to fulfill his parents' greed for money. 

 

Taehyung catches Jisoo's lingering eyes and she is quick cast her sights back on Yoongi.

 

Yoongi sits back in his chair and takes a sip of his wine.  Jisoo watches his Adam's apple bob before he says, "Let’s talk about something else."

 

Jisoo wracks her brain over subjects to talk about.  They told each other almost everything they know about themselves after Jisoo's incident this morning.

 

She knows about his parents and their untimely death, and he's on this cruise to visit the place they first met in Japan.  Yoongi knows about Jisoo's family and why she works under the identity of a man on the ship.  They both know each other's likes and dislike, their hopes and dreams, and the stories behind their compasses.

 

"Tell me how you met Yeri," Jisoo asks.

 

Yoongi perks up at that.  "My father was good friends with hers, so they introduced us to one another," he explains as he places his wine glass on the table.  "I think our parents had us together most of the time because they were tired of us having so many imaginary friends."

 

Jisoo giggles at that.

 

"Both of our parents were hoping we would end up as soulmates because we got so close over the years, but Yeri and I see each other as brother and sister," he laughs.  "I am pretty sure the feeling of nearly gagging is mutual at the thought of us being together like that.  She isn't my type."

 

Jisoo smirks at that.  "And who exactly is your type, Mr. Min?" she challenges.

 

"It would definitely be you," he honestly answers, his eyes gazing steadily at her.

 

Jisoo looks to Yoongi with wide eyes, surprised at his sudden boldness.  She avoids Yoongi's gaze in favor of looking around the room.

 

"Things will be a little different tonight," the pianist announces as he begins to lightly play on his piano.  "The band will join you all on the dance floor tonight."

 

Jisoo turns her head and looks expectantly to Yoongi, finding him with a hand already outstretched towards her.

 

"Go on," the pianist encourages his band, "You all only hang around each other.  Go dance and find new friends tonight!"

 

A small smile appears on Yoongi's lips, "Would you like to—"

 

"Yes," Jisoo answers before Yoongi can even finish the question.  "Do you really need to ask," she says more like a statement than a question with a playfully raised eyebrow.

 

Her soulmate chuckles as Jisoo slips her hand into his.  He guides her from their little table and into the crowd dancing in twos among each other.

 

They're almost in the middle of the dance floor when Yoongi turns back to Jisoo and gently lifts her arm to make her spin towards him.  Jisoo is suddenly pulled flush against Yoongi as both of her hands land on his chest. 

 

They are so close that their noses just barely touch.  Goosebumps travel down Jisoo's body due to the proximity.

 

Yoongi delicately runs his hands up Jisoo's arms before he places his hands over hers, and he begins to softly sway them both into a gradual circle. 

 

The song the pianist is currently playing is a little on the upbeat side, but they dance as if it's a slow song.

 

The hand that's holding Jisoo's compass is vibrating just over Yoongi's heart.  "I can hold your compass for you if you want," he offers, "So we can dance properly."

 

Jisoo nimbly nods, almost brushing her nose with Yoongi's as he takes her compass and pockets it into his dinner coat.

 

Jisoo can tell the air around them has changed, it's almost humid but it's so easy to breathe in.

 

Yoongi slips his arms around Jisoo's small waist and rests his hands on her lower back as Jisoo wraps her arms around Yoongi's neck.  He rests his forehead on hers.  The laughter and the clicks of wine glasses and heels fade from Jisoo's ears.  All she can focus on is Yoongi.

 

"I would like to call the instrumentalists back on stage for the next number," the pianist says into the microphone, but it runs deaf to Jisoo's ear.

 

 _Yoongi.  Yoongi.  Yoongi._  

 

Jisoo suddenly finds herself filled with so much want. 

 

She runs her fingers through the blonde hairs just above Yoongi's nape, pulling his face slightly closer to hers.  She feels Yoongi's lips brush against hers and she shivers at the contact. 

 

She has to say something.  "Do you want to—"

 

"Yes," Yoongi earnestly replies, already knowing what she's asking.

 

Yoongi guides them both out of the ballroom before they take the elevator to his room.  He unlocks his door and Jisoo swallows in anticipation.  She's never intimate with a man, but she finds comfort that she can feel this way with Yoongi.

 

Yoongi holds the door open for Jisoo as they walk in.  The whole room faintly smells of his cologne and Jisoo wants so badly to drown in it.

 

Jisoo walks further into the room and takes in Yoongi's belongings scattered around the room.  Random articles of clothing are haphazardly lying around his suitcase and a few neckties hang off of his dresser.  

 

She stands before the mirror hanging over the wooden dresser and rests her hands on its surface.  She looks into the glass to find her soulmate already gazing at her through the reflection.

 

Yoongi slowly makes his way to Jisoo, giving her time to decide to leave if she wants to.  

 

Jisoo turns around to face Yoongi, and almost like a magnet, she feels herself being pulled flush against him.  Her compass vibrates with the quickened pulse of her heart as she clasps a hand around the back of Yoongi's neck and pulls his lips to hers.

 

The kiss starts out slow, but Jisoo finds that Yoongi's lips are addictive.  Yoongi is a high she doesn't ever want to come down from.

 

He wraps his hands over each side of her hips and he lifts her to atop the dresser.  Yoongi softly bites down on Jisoo's upper lip before she moans at the feeling and pulls back for air.

 

He rests his head against hers as he cups one her cheeks with with a gentle hand.

 

Their noses softly bump together. 

 

"We don't have to do anything tonight, we can just—"

 

"No, I...  I want to," Jisoo says she fists her hands in his shirt.

 

Yoongi leans back to look Jisoo in her eyes.  "Are you sure?  I don't want to pressure you into anything," he asks and Jisoo melts at his consideration.

 

"I'm sure, Yoongi.  All I want is you."

 

Jisoo's compass vibrates in agreement and Yoongi's pupils dialate with desire.  

 

Jisoo tilts her head until her lips meet Yoongi's and she kisses him like she's found home.

 

 

 

 

 

Jisoo lies in bed with her head resting on Yoongi's bare chest, his fingers absently drawing patterns against her naked back. 

 

She wants to lie here forever in this moment, but she did promise her brother that she'd meet up with him for Jinye's birthday.

 

"What time is it?" Jisoo lifts her head.

 

Yoongi reaches for his watch on the bedside table, "Thirty minutes till twelve.  Why?" he asks as he looks down at her.

 

Jisoo smiles at him she props herself atop his chest.  "You want to go to a party?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**JUNGKOOK**

 

"Hey, Jungkook!  Are you coming?"

 

Jungkook's hand wraps around the doorknob of the band's dressing room before he looks back to Jimin, "Yeah, I just need to check on something in my room.  I'll be back in a minute."

 

"Okay, we're all heading to the small conference room downstairs for Jinye's birthday party," Jimin says.

 

Jungkook has come to the new friends he's making on the ship, especially Jimin.  He can be a little mischievous at times, but Jungkook is really warming up to him.  

 

Jungkook smiles sadly as he thinks of Yeri before he heads down two floors to get to his room.

 

He just wants to free Yeri of the bind that she's in, and to make it worse, she's getting married to the mysterious man that he needs to hand over the necklace to.

 

He enters the room and closes the door behind him before he heads over to his head and kneels to his knees.  He blindly reaches under his bed until he feels the rough fabric of his duffel bag. 

 

Jungkook pulls the bag out from underneath the bag and drags the zipper open.  He feels nervous about what the merchant and dock told him to do with the necklace. 

 

Now that he knows what Kim Taehyung looks like, all Jungkook has to do is deliver the necklace to him.  He's sure the necklace probably costs more than he's ever going to make in a lifetime.  

 

 _I could probably just sell the jewelry myself_ , Jungkook thinks,  _I could just_ —

 

The necklace isn't there.  

 

He reaches into the bottom of the bag and feels around for the necklace.  Jungkook's eyes go wide in shock,  _the necklace isn't here!_  

 

He starts to panic. 

 

He picks up the duffel bag and dumps the contents onto the floor.  He scrambles through his clothes and finds nothing that looks even close to an expensive chain of diamonds.

 

He has no idea what to do.  He hasn't even touched the necklace he first put into his bag.  Now Jungkook is in even more debt than before. 

 

All the money he has to pay back and now he  _owes a freaking_ necklace.

 

Jungkook sighs and rises to his feet before something hard hits the side of his head. 

 

He falls limp to the floor, briefly catching a glimpse of a pair of shoes walking towards him before his vision blurs and fades to black.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**NAMJOON**

 

Namjoon stands and waits for Solbin outside the band's dressing room. 

 

He's watching as people begin to file out of the room when a man winks at him and pats him on the shoulder as he passes.

 

"Jimin, stop," Solbin says.

 

Namjoon looks to Solbin in question before she tells him not to worry about it.

 

Solbin takes his hand as they walk downstairs.  Namjoon is so happy to be with his soulmate like this.  He has to thank the man that helped him in the flower shop.

 

Namjoon and Solbin enter the room and join the others as they all eat food and pass around drinks.  Solbin briefly leaves his side to go talk to Jinye and the other girls.

 

Namjoon stands there, holding a drink in his hand as he looks over at all of the people in the room.  He spots an engine room worker he recognizes on the other side of the room. 

 

Namjoon catches the man's eye and they wave at each other.  Seungjun, he recalls, Jisoo's younger brother.  He's met Seungjun a handful of times, but Namjoon is more acquainted with his older brother Jisoo.

 

He looks around the room some more and spots the man from the flower shop, his blonde hair making him stick out from the crowd.

 

Namjoon walks over to him.  "Um, hi," he greets, "I just wanted to say thank you for helping me earlier, with the rose."

 

"Oh, of course," the man says as he shakes Namjoon's hand.  "I hope that rose worked."

 

Namjoon nods enthusiastically, "It did.  Thank you again."

 

"No problem.  You ran off so fast that I didn't catch your name," he chuckles.

 

"I apologize for that, I was very nervous at the time," he says bashfully.  "I am Kim Namjoon."

 

"Min Yoongi," the other supplies.

 

Namjoon catches a woman standing next to Yoongi and holding onto his arm.  "Have we met before?  You look oddly familiar."  This woman looks like someone he knows, but he can't put his finger on it.

 

"N-no," the woman says.  "We've never met before."

 

"Are you sure—"

 

"Time to sing happy birthday to the special birthday girl!  It's almost midnight!" Hoseok yells as he enters the room with more people, carrying a cake.

 

"Chocolate!" Jinye squeals.

 

The crowd moves closer to the center if them room as Hoseok places the cake on a table.  Solbin and the other female vocalists pull Jinye over to the side of the table.

 

"Where are the rest of the candles?" Haein questions.  "She's turning eighteen, not two."

 

"The kitchen said they had a limited supply, so we could only ask for this many," Jimin explains.

 

"It's okay," Jinye says.  "Quality over quantity, right?"

 

"One, two, three," Hoseok counts and everyone begins to sing happy birthday.

 

Namjoon looks to Solbin.  She's hugging her friend and smiling so brightly.  She looks so much happy.

 

"Make a wish!  Make a wish!" the crowd cheers.

 

Jinye smiles widely and pulls her hair back as she leans forward to blow out the birthday candles.

 

The fire vanishes and everyone claps.  Solbin looks over and catches Namjoon already looking her way.  They both smile at each other and Namjoon can't wait to get to know her better.

 

"Hey, look!" Jinye screams. "I got compass—"

 

All the sudden the ship violently lurches and comes to a stop.

 

Namjoon catches himself against the wall.  It's all in slow motion.  He watches the people standing around the table, including Solbin, be thrown to the floor, and he can't do anything about it.

 

Namjoon snaps his head at the sound of glass breaking and watches as the hand Jinye is holding her compass in rebound after being slammed against the hard floor. 

 

The compass's needle goes flying through the air and whizzes past Namjoon, barely slicing through Yoongi's cheek, and lodges itself straight into Seungjun's throat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**YERI**

 

Yeri quickly moves from in between her mother and the railing and silently walks to the door leading into the ship. 

 

She briefly stops to look back at Jungkook before she hands him back his coat.

 

  
_Who does she see?" a young Yeri desperately asks._

 

 

Jungkook longingly gazes at her, a hint of despair in his eyes.

 

 

_"She sees her soulmate.  And her heart is beating so fast," her nanny answers and Yeri happily gasps with wide eyes.  The nanny taps her fingers against Yeri chest, imitating a heartbeat, and Yeri giggles.  "But a body of water separates them, and he lives on a very lonely island."_

 

 

Yeri slowly turns away from her soulmate and walks through the door.  She passes by people giving her questioning looks.

 

 

_Yeri makes a frustrated noise and squirms in her nanny's lap.  "Can't she just swim to him?"_

 

 

She wipes tears from her eyes as she begins to walk faster.

 

 

_"The princess can swim," the nanny answers.  "So she attempts to swim to the island her soulmate resides on."_

 

 

Yeri runs into her room and slams the door behind her.  She makes her way to the bathroom and grabs a few tissues to clean her eyes.  She looks at herself in the mirror.

 

 

_"Does she make it to the island?" Yeri asks._

 

 

Her eyes are pink and puffy from the tears.  She turns her head and sees a splotch of red tinting the skin on her cheek.

 

 

_"She tries her best," the nanny says.  "But she can't make it to the island.  She keeps getting tangled in her long hair."_

 

 

She releases a frustrated and looks at the sink.  Yeri spots a pair of scissors lying near the faucet.  Her mother controls everything she does.  She controls what Yeri eats, what she reads, how she walks, even her appearance.

 

Her hair is like a trophy to mother.  Never cut, but trimmed.  Never dyed, but treated.  Her mother would let Yeri's hair continue growing to her feet if she wanted, but Yeri doesn't want that.

 

 _She doesn't control everything_ , Yeri thinks.

 

 

_"So what does she do?"_

 

 

Yeri pulls of long hair out in front of her and holds it between the blades.

 

 

_"She cuts her hair," her nanny solemnly answers._

 

 

Yeri doesn't know what she's doing, but she keeps cutting. 

 

The weight on her head gets lighter and lighter with every snip.  She grabs for the last piece of hair and cuts it without hesitation. 

 

Her hair no longer falls down her back, but instead, it bluntly hangs just above her tense shoulders.  

 

She's about to lower the scissors from her neck when the ship suddenly jerks to a stop.  She falls and she tries to catch herself on the floor with her hands. 

 

The scissors she's holding embed themselves just beneath her left collarbone, and she screams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**JISOO**

 

Jisoo opens her eyes and her head is throbbing.  She feels something warm trickling down the back of her neck.

 

"What on earth just happened?!"

 

"Is everyone alright?"

 

"Oh, my God, somebody get a nurse!" someone yells beside Jisoo, but everything around her sounds like she's underwater.

 

Jisoo rolls over on her onto her back.  She winces at the feeling of the fabric of her dress rub at the burns on her skin.

 

"I can't get the needle out, there's too much blood!"

 

She hears someone choking on something wet. 

 

Jisoo turns her head and sees Namjoon's back facing her, sitting on his knees and yelling something Jisoo can't understand. 

 

She slowly sits up and sees Yoongi hovering over someone lying on the floor. 

 

_What just happened?  What is going on?_

 

"Keep your eyes open.  Hey, stay with me, Seungjun!"

 

Solbin gains full consciousness at the sound of her brother's name.  She sits up a little straighter before she is hit with a spell of dizziness.  "Seungjun?" she calls.

 

Namjoon grabs her by the shoulders.  There's so much blood on the front of his shirt and all over his hands.  "Y-you shouldn't see this," he says shakily.

 

She looks over his shoulder and to see Yoongi hurriedly shrugging off his jacket and placing it around Seungjun's neck.

 

Blood is spilling out of Seungjun's neck from under Yoongi's hands and Jisoo screams at the sight. 

 

The room goes quiet and Jisoo pushes past Namjoon and crawls over to her brother.  "Oh my God—Seungjun!"

 

Seungjun seems to recognize nothing but his sister's voice.  His eyes wander over to hers and he continues chocking on his own blood.  "Ji-Ji-Jisoo—I'm—" he manages to cough out. 

 

Blood splatters on both Jisoo and Yoongi's faces.  Seungjun's feet are struggling against the floor and he's holding onto Yoongi's forearm for dear life.

 

"Yoongi, the needle is still in his neck," Namjoon says cautiously.

 

"I know, I know!" Yoongi yells back.  "The blood—it won't stop, it just won't stop," he cries.

 

Jisoo quickly grabs for her brother's hand and holds it to her chest.  "Seungjun, please.  Just hold on a little longer until some help comes," she sobs as she runs her other hand through his hair.  "I need to stay.  Stay with me," she pleads.

 

Jisoo's sobs, Seungjun choking for air, and Yoongi's labored breathing are the only sounds filling the stagnant room.

 

Seungjun looks to Yoongi.  "T-take c-are of—"

 

"No, no," Yoongi interrupts him with a gruff voice.  "Don't you dare start talking like that!"

 

Jisoo doesn't know what to do, her mind is blank, and everything is happening to fast.  She hears footsteps and turns her head to see Sowon and the Captain rushing into the room.

 

Jisoo turns back to her brother with a glimmer of hope. "See, Seungjun.  Mrs. Sowon is here to—"

 

Seungjun grows still under Yoongi's hands, loosening his grip on Yoongi's arm.

 

"Seungjun!" Jisoo screams.  "Please, no!"

 

Jisoo's brother goes completely still and his hand falls limp from Yoongi's arm.

 

"No, no, no!" Yoongi cries.

 

Sowon scrambles to the other side of Seungjun's body and wraps her hand around his wrist.  She looks to Jisoo and slowly shakes her head with a tear running down her cheek.

 

Yoongi falls on his butt beside Sowon, the front of his body covered in dark blood.

 

Jisoo sobs even harder and gathers her little brother in her arms.  She cradles his head against her chest and she continues to cry, rocking them both back and forth.

 

"Jisoo…" Yoongi says.

 

"Come back, come back," she repeats over and over.

 

Yoongi crawls over to the siblings and wraps his arms around the both of them.

 

"Yoongi," Jisoo cries.  "I promised to keep him safe."

 

"This isn't," Yoongi's voice cracks, "This isn't your fault."

 

"…Namjoon," the captain quietly calls behind.  "I need you to come with me."

 

Jisoo and Namjoon's eyes meet for a second before he shakily stands and wordlessly follows Jin out of the room.

 

Sowon also stands to her feet and wipes at her eyes.  "I need everyone to evacuate the room.  Give these people some space and head upstairs.  We are in the middle of an emergency, so please do what the staff says as you all make your way to the first floor."

 

The room slowly empties out, and Jisoo is still holding onto Seungjun's limp body.

 

"Jisoo," Sowon calls.  The younger doesn't hear her.  "Yoongi, we need to go."

 

"What?  Are you serious?  We can't just leave Seungjun here," Yoongi madly replies.

 

"I know—I don’t want to do this either," Sowon urges.  "But we _need_ to go.  The ship is sinking."

 

"What did you just say?"

 

"The ship," Sowon sighs, "It is sinking."

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song(s) in this chapter:
> 
> 1) Bad Boy - Red Velvet (Acoustic/Ballad Version) by GMIXMASHUP
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Lemme know what you think, I am very appreciative of feedback.
> 
> See you in the next one~


	5. Sinking, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I just feel like something horrible is about to happen."
> 
> "What could happen between now and when we dock in Japan? We can see the city's lights on the coast from here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Trigger warning: minor character death**

 

 

 

 

 

**SOWON**

 

Sowon has her arms wrapped around her husband's neck as they sway in a slow circle.  The band left the stage a while ago and the violinists are playing the last of their set for the night. 

 

The dance floor is almost empty now, just a hand full of couples linger.  Most of the ship's guests have either retreated to their rooms for the night or are attending one of the various after parties in the conference rooms.

 

Sowon rests her head on Jin's shoulder and he holds her tighter.  Her cheek is softly squished against the soft material of his coat.  "What time is it," she asks.

 

Jin unwraps one of his arms from his wife to check his watch, "We have a few minutes until midnight.  Why?  You have somewhere to else to be?" he lightly teases.

 

"No," she partly whines, the slight buzz of alcohol runs through her veins.  "I just feel like something horrible is about to happen."

 

"You just have a habit of getting anxious when you drink, honey," Jin chuckles as he runs a soothing hand down her back.  "What could happen between now and when we dock in Japan?  We can see the city's lights on the coast from here."

 

He's right.  They are only a few miles away from land.  The glass wall lining the back of the ballroom clearly shows the coast of Nagasaki and its ship port lit brightly in the distance.  

 

Sowon says nothing more as they continue to sway to the music.  She looks over to see her son sleeping on two dining chairs pushed together.

 

"We should get him to bed," Sowon yawns.

 

"We should," Jin says as looks over his shoulder at their son's sleeping form.  He turns back to Sowon and leaves a kiss in her hair, "But I want to hold you for just a little longer."

 

Sowon smiles at that and she closes her eyes, breathing in Jin's soft scent and savoring the warmth of his body against hers when the ship suddenly jerks to a stop.

 

Jin hugs Sowon tighter to his chest and he flips them over so that his wife is on top of him before they hit the floor.  Sowon scrunches her eyes closed as she hears wine bottles and glass hit the floor.  Screams invade her ears before she hears the ship's loud propellers slow to a stop. 

 

"Are you alright, dear?" Jin grunts as he rises to sit them upright.

 

"Mama!  Dad!" Sowon hears her son cry.

 

The couple quickly stands to their feet and scramble over their son.  They both let out a sigh of relief when they find that he's unharmed.

 

The scene around them is slowly growing hectic.  The whole ballroom looks like a tornado just came through it.  The few people in the room are slowly coming back to their senses and picking themselves up with the help of others. 

 

Sowon does a quick check of the small crowd, there seem to be no major injuries, but there are some people with minor cuts near the bar.  She runs a calming hand through her son's hair as she turns to her husband. 

 

She can feel the ship slightly going off axis. 

 

The guests in the room will barely notice, but Sowon, since she has practically lived on multiple cruise ships over years, can tell that there is definitely a shift in the balance of the boat.  Her stomach drops.  _The ship might be—_    

 

"Jin, the ship.  It's—"

 

"Don't say it aloud.  The last thing we need is for everyone to start panicking," he quickly shushes her. 

 

Jin curses under his breath and rises to his feet.  He raises his voice to ask if everyone is okay.  When he receives a chorus of yeses and nods, he jogs over to the corded telephone mounted on the nearest wall and speaks into it, giving orders for the staff to escort all of the guests to the lobby and wait for further instructions.

 

He turns back to Sowon, "I need to get down to the engine room.  The propeller seems to have stopped running," he says.  "I need to find Namjoon and—"

 

"He said something about a birthday party," Sowon quickly supplies.  "He must be in one the conference rooms downstairs." 

 

She moves to stand with her son before Jin stops her, telling her to stay with their son.

 

"No, we're coming with you," Sowon stubbornly replies as she takes her son's small hand in hers.  "Someone may be injured down there.  I still have a job to do as a nurse."

 

Jin breathes through his nose.  There's no time to argue.  Some of the ship's staff enter the room then, calmly escorting people out of the ballroom as Sowon and her family find the nearest stairwell.

 

"Mrs. Sowon!  W-we need your help!!" one of the members of the band meets them halfway to the conference room.  "It's Seungjun, he's badly hurt!"

 

Sowon tells her son to wait outside of the door as her and Jin rush into the room.  There's a crowd forming a loose semicircle near the side of the wall and Sowon pushes through.  The scene before her looks similar to the time when she was a nurse on the front line during the war.

 

Namjoon is on his knees with blood covering his hands while the man Jisoo told Sowon about earlier, Yoongi, is hovering over Seungjun, trying to stop the waterfall of blood gushing from his neck. 

 

Sowon meets Jisoo's eyes, a small glimmer of hope in Jisoo's watery eyes.

 

"See, Seungjun," Jisoo says.  "Mrs. Sowon is here to—"

 

Sowon notices Seungjun growing still under Yoongi's hands, loosening his tight grip from Yoongi's arm.  She knows it's already too late for him.

 

"Seungjun!" Jisoo screams.  "Please, no!"

 

Jisoo's brother goes completely still and his hand falls limply to the floor with a small thud, making Sowon flinch.  

 

"No, no, no!" Yoongi cries.

 

Sowon runs to the other side of Seungjun's body before she falls to her knees and wraps her fingers around his wrist.  She looks to Jisoo and slowly shakes her head when Seungjun's faint pulse beats through his skin for the last time. 

 

Sowon knows exactly what it feels like to have someone die just beneath her hands, but she will never get used to it. 

 

A tear runs down her cheek.  She almost feels as if she's lost her own son.

 

Yoongi falls on his butt beside Sowon, the front of his clothes covered in dark blood.

 

Jisoo sobs even harder and she gathers her little brother in her arms, and Sowon can do nothing but watch.  Jisoo cradles Seungjun's head against her chest and she continues to cry, rocking them both back and forth.

 

"Jisoo…" Yoongi quietly says after a while.

 

"Come back, come back," she repeats over and over.

 

Sowon struggles to hold back her tears as Yoongi crawls over to the siblings and wraps his arms around the both of them.

 

"Yoongi," Jisoo cries. "I promised to keep him safe."

 

"T-this isn't," Yoongi tries to tell her, "This isn't your fault."

 

"…Namjoon," Jin quietly calls from behind.  "I need you to come with me."

 

Namjoon shakily stands and wordlessly follows Jin out of the room.

 

Sowon also stands to her feet, her compass vibrating less and less as Jin walks farther away from the conference room. 

 

She deeply inhales before she addresses the small crowd, "I need everyone to evacuate the room.  Give these people some space and head upstairs.  We are in the middle of an emergency, so please do what the staff says as you all make your way to the first floor."

 

The room slowly empties out and Sowon finds Jinye, a girl she has briefly talked to before, is being pulled to the door by Solbin with a distraught look on her face. 

 

Sowon turns back to Jisoo still holding onto her brother's limp body.  "Jisoo," she calls, but the younger doesn't hear her, so she turns to Yoongi.  "Yoongi...w-we need to go."

 

"What?  Are you serious?" Yoongi madly replies and Sowon winces.  "We can't just leave Seungjun here!" 

 

"I know—I don’t want to do this either!" Sowon urges apologetically.  "But we need to go.  The ship is sinking."

 

She knows her emotions are getting the best of her and leaking out information like this is dangerous.  Sowon can't be human right now, she needs to be a nurse right now.

 

Yoongi's eyebrows disappear into his blonde fringe as he looks to her, "What did you just say?"

 

"The ship," she nervously sighs, "It is sinking."

 

Yoongi looks away and doesn't say anything for a long while.  "...Just give us a minute."

 

Sowon silently stands and moves to exit the room.  She wraps her hand around the doorway and looks back one last time, she immediately regrets it when her eyes begin to well with more tears.  Her heart is heavy with grief.

 

Sowon quickly wipes at her face before she grabs for her son's hand and she walks them up to the lobby.

 

"Mama, what happened?" her son timidly asks.  "I saw dad with Uncle Joonie.  Why did Uncle Joonie have blood on his hands?  Why did he look so sad?"

 

Before Sowon can even conjure up some kind of explanation for her young son, she is bombarded with the rest of the nurses that work on the ship.

 

She raises a hand to silence all of them before they trample her with questions and information.  "Just do what you feel is right," she calmly but tiredly tells them as she looks around the lobby.  There are male staff carrying more injured bodies into the room with the help of some of the guests.

 

"The more experienced nurses pair with the others and help whoever you can to your best ability.  I'll also be around tending to injuries, so call me if something is too difficult for you."

 

The nurses rush off and begin sectioning the large lobby by the importance of injury.  To Sowon's relief, there are only cuts, bruises, and a few dislocated bones, nothing that antiseptic and stitches can't fix.

 

Sowon kneels down to her knees and looks her son in the eyes, but he's distracted by all the people gathering around them. 

 

She gently grabs his jaw with her fingers, slightly squishing his chunky cheeks, and turns his head towards her as she offers him a sad smile, "I need you to stay with Uncle Hoseok while I help the people that are hurt," Sowon nods in the direction of the band huddling together on the other side of the lobby.  "I know things are a little overwhelming at the moment, but can you be a big boy and do that for me?"

 

Her son silently nods and makes his way over to the band as Sowon stands.  She watches him the whole way and mouths a short thank you to Hoseok when the pianist catches her eye.  He lightly ruffles the little boy's hair and chances another look at Sowon. 

 

They both stare at each other before Sowon turns away.  Her compass gives off of a sad hum before it grows still again, reminding Sowon of a secret that she can't bring herself to tell her husband. 

 

Maybe one day she'll tell Jin that she has multiple soulmates, but that's never been publicly talked about so he'll never believe that.  Maybe she'll even tell him that the Hanahaki disease is real.  Maybe she won't say a word.  People find it easier to be ignorant when it comes to soulmates.

 

Sowon is brought out of her thoughts when she hears a man yell out in pain.  Two men enter the room carrying another man in their arms.  His shoulder seems to be dislocated.  She rushes over and directs the men to sit the injured one in the nearest chair.

 

"Ma'am, you gotta help me!" the man cries as he holds his arm.

 

"Your shoulder is dislocated.  I'm going to put back into place, but in order to do that, I need you to breathe and stay still," she informs him as she carefully maneuvers him to help him shrug off his jacket.

 

"Okay, I-I can do that," the man shakily nods as he takes a deep breath.  "I think you would be better off as a model than a nurse, ma'am," he tries to laugh through his pain as Sowon pulls his arm out of the sleeve of the coat.

 

She laughs at that as she stands behind him, carefully massaging the tense muscles around his shoulder with one hand as she places her other on the man's forearm, "Thank you, but I think I'd rather be a nurse.  Relax a little bit more for me."

 

The soft sound of violins begins to fill the air.  Hoseok probably suggested the violinists play something to calm the guests.  It calms Sowon down a little, too.

 

The man loudly winces when he feels his arm is slightly lifted.  "You are married," he nods down to the nurse's diamond resting on her finger, trying to look anywhere else but his injured shoulder.

 

"Yes, happily so," Sowon grins as she cups her hand around the man's upper arm and gives it a few squeezes, trying to get a feel for the bone.  When she finds what she's looking for, she calls a nurse over and instructs her to hold down the man's shoulders.  "Just keep breathing," Sowon says as she rotates the man's arm and firmly pushes up.

 

"A-ah!" the man groans as the bone shifts back into place.  "Thank you," he sighs, rubbing his shoulder with care, "Thank you so much."

 

Sowon moves on throughout the room from injury to injury, occasionally checking on her son before another crowd comes rushing into the large lobby.  She exhales through her nose. 

 

This is going to be a long night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**YOONGI**

 

Yoongi doesn't know how long he's been holding Jisoo.  His hold is tight on her.  He just wants her to know that he's still here for her. 

 

Jisoo stopped crying a while ago, she's just a mess of soft sniffles and wet cheeks now.

 

Yoongi is an only child.  He can't imagine what it's like to lose a little brother, but he knows exactly what it feels like to unexpectedly lose a family member.

 

He looks down to the floor, finding it covered in Seungjun's thick blood.  Yoongi is almost brought back to the scene of his parent's inccident just by the sight of it, but he shakes his head and blinks the terrible memory out his mind.

 

Yoongi turns his head and sees groups of people walking past the doorway of the conference room.  Sowon mentioned that the boat was sinking earlier.  They need to get going if that is true.

 

"Jisoo...  W-we need to leave.  Something is wrong with the ship.  We need to get to the main floor with everyone else," Yoongi speaks.  He feels bad for making Jisoo leave her brother, but there's no sense in putting themselves in danger if they can help it.

 

Jisoo says nothing as she continues to thread her fingers through her little brother's hair.

 

Yoongi breathes through his nose, trying his best not to fall apart.  "Please, Jisoo." 

 

"Okay," Jisoo responds, but she makes no move to let go of Seungjun.

 

Yoongi reaches for Jisoo's hand and gently pries it from her brother's face, "I'm so sorry.  I am so sorry." 

 

He pries her other hand away after he carefully places Seungjun's head on the floor.  He scoots back and pulls Jisoo with him, the rest of Seungjun's body sliding off of Jisoo's lap and onto the floor with their slow movements.

 

Yoongi eventually stands and moves to pull Jisoo up with him before Yoongi stoops down to cover Seungjun's face and upper body with his soiled dinner coat.  He wishes things didn't have to be this way, but there is nothing they can do.

 

He rises and turns back to Jisoo and pulls her into his chest.  She wraps her arms tightly around him before Yoongi lets go and guides them out of the room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**HOSEOK**

 

All of the overlapping voices in the room are starting to get to Hoseok.  Music always calms him down.  He needs to get his mind off of his surroundings and his compass that keeps buzzing every time Sowon moves on the other side of the lobby.  He can't be thinking about her, that isn't right—

 

"Uncle Hoseok..."

 

Hoseok turns from the violinists and follows Sowon's son's little pointed index finger, finding Jinye bawling her eyes out as Solbin is tries her best to comfort her with no avail.  The band casts sad glances at Jinye as they huddle around each other.

 

"Oh, God!  Oh my God!" Jinye cries as she thrashes out of Solbin's hold before Haein catches her.  "I killed him!   _I killed him!_  He was my soulmate and I killed him!"

 

Jinye's cries into Haein's shoulder as her right hand is clutched painfully tight around her broken compass.  The glass on the top side of her compass looks as if it was hit by a hammer and the skin around her fingernails are bruised from where they slammed against the floor.

 

Jinye's cries barely carry through the loud, crowded lobby and Hoseok can't think of anything to say to make the situation better for her.  He looks to Jimin, finding him shaking his head as he crosses his arms over his chest.

 

They all know the needle from the Jinye's broken compass is what killed Seungjun, but the band will never voice it aloud.  Seungjun has died at the hands of his own soulmate and Hoseok thinks that that is the worst way to die.

 

The atmosphere is tense and Hoseok needs to pull himself and the others together. 

 

"I tried to get information from the staff, but they aren't telling anyone anything," Hoseok says as he loosens the bow tied around the neck of his button-up.  "Of all my years playing on cruise ships, this has to be the worst thing that could ever happen."  He looks over to the sound of Jinye's quiet sniffles and offers her his handkerchief before Haein takes it for Jinye instead.  "Take her to a nurse," he solemnly says.  

 

As Jinye is ushered to the other side of the room, Hoseok decides to do a quick head count of his band.

 

"Okay, most of us are here," he sighs as he rests his hands on his hips and looks around the crowded lobby in frustration.  He doesn't see Jungkook.

 

"Jungkook should be here," Jimin says as he looks around.  "I don't see him anywhere."

 

"He wasn't with us at the party," Solbin recalls.

 

"I know," Jimin runs a weary hand through his dark hair.  "He said he had to go to his room and that he would be back for the party, but he never showed up.  And now the ship—a-and Seungjun..." Jimin pauses to bite nervously at his lip, "I'm just really worried about him.  It looks like everyone on the ship is here except him."

 

"Let's just go to his room and see if he's still there."

 

Hoseok glances to the glass windows and looks at the many handfuls of guests standing outside on the deck.  He doubts Jungkook would be out there.  He's come to find that the boy hates the cold weather.

 

"Alright.  Jimin, Solbin," Hoseok sighs.  "Go find Jungkook and come _right back_ ," he stresses.  "We have no idea what state the ship is in and I don't need you two getting hurt.  Go and be quick.  I'll stay here with the rest," he says as he takes Sowon's son's hand.

 

He watches Solbin and Jimin disappear into the crowd.  "Please be careful," he whispers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**JIN**

 

Jin takes long, steady strides as he journeys to the engine room and Namjoon stays quick on his toes to keep up with the captain's fast pace.

 

Jin's brain is going haywire.  He's away from his family, someone just died on the ship, and the ship itself is in a questionable state.  He keeps his eyes straight ahead and his brows are subtly creased together.

 

They reach a busy corridor and Jin tries his best to look somewhat untroubled as he offers instructions and small reassurances to the guests making their way to the lobby.

 

Jin stops when an elderly man approaches Namjoon with a story about how Namjoon looks just like his young grandson.  Namjoon tries to offer a small smile, but he fails.  Jin watches him closely and he can tell Namjoon is trying to hold himself together as Namjoon excuses himself and points the old man in the direction of the main floor.

 

"I know a lot has just happened, and I know this is the last thing you want to hear, but I need you to stay calm," Jin softly says over his shoulder as they pass under another corridor before reaching the stairwell that leads down to the engine room.  "The crew in the engine room will be looking to us in this situation, and any sign of panic on our faces will likely set everyone off."

 

Jin almost stops walking when Namjoon doesn't reply right away.  "Every thing will be fine, okay?" 

 

Jin goes down a few steps before he stops and turns to the naval architect with a sigh.  "Namjoon," his voice echoes through the empty stairwell, "Did you hear what I said?"

 

Namjoon looks to Jin, but his eyes are distant and weary, "Y-yes…  I heard you."

 

Jin closes his hands around Namjoon's shoulders, trying to comfort him.  "You can go to the control room and see what is going on up there if this is too much for you right now."

 

Namjoon slightly shakes his head, "No.  I built this ship, I need to know what is going on down there just as much as you."

 

Jin already knows what's going on.  The ship may be sinking and they need to do something about it.  He squeezes Namjoon's arms with a small smile and turns to continue down the stairs.  They descend lower into the ship and Jin begins to grow confused. 

 

 _Shouldn't the air be warmer down here?_ He is almost to the bottom of the stairs when his feet dip into ice cold water.

 

"Ah!" Jin half-yells in surprise before he stumbles back into Namjoon.

 

"Oh my God," Namjoon says as he balances Jin back into a standing position.

 

The engine room is usually lit with light coming from the furnaces, but now it is completely silent, dark and eerie, save for the two lit lamps sitting on Mr. Lee's desk in his office on the other side of the room.

 

Jin was just down here before he and Namjoon left for dinner.  The furnaces were still running and the crew was working as normal.

 

Namjoon moves passed Jin and walks further down the steps.  He hesitates when he can't see rest of the stairs because they are covered by black water, but he sinks down into the water until his feet touch the floor.  The water reaches just above his waist.

 

"Namjoon," Jin cautiously calls.

 

Namjoon turns back to the captain, the water softly sloshes around him.  "We need to check if anyone is here and then look for any damage to the boat."

 

Jin slowly sinks into the water and winces at its freezing temperature.  They can't stay here for long, they need to be quick or they'll fatally freeze.

 

They slowly make their way through the water, the only sounds in the room come from water rippling against their movements and their shallow breathing.  Jin squints his eyes as they travel farther from the stairs, he can barely see anything.  The only sources of light come from the entrance above the stairs and the soft yellow light of Mr. Lee's office.

 

They trek passed the first few furnaces when Namjoon briefly stops and starts to walk towards the wall.

 

"There's a current," Namjoon says as he observes the wall.  He runs his fingers over the metal until he feels wood.  He furrows his brows.  He can tell there's a hole in the wall and he guesses that the crew made some kind of makeshift barrier to stop most of the water from getting in.  "The ship must have hit something.  There's no telling what, though."

 

Jin makes his way over and stops a few feet behind Namjoon when feels the current too.  "The water is rising fast."

 

"Looks like the whole room will fill up with water soon."  Namjoon tuns back to Jin, the water has risen to just below his shoulders, "I designed a safety measure to have the engine room be locked down so the water can't reach the upper floors."

 

Something lightly bumps into Jin's shoulder.  Jin slightly shrinks away before he turns his head and is met with a figure floating at his side. 

 

It's one of the crew members. 

 

Jin lifts his hand out of the water and reaches for him, only to realize that the body is covered in blood and his uniform is torn.  Jin slowly turns and looks behind him.  There are even more bodies limply floating above the water in the same condition as the body floating near him.

 

He immediately shakes a flashback from the war from his mind before he calls out to Namjoon and says, "Something is wron—"

 

All of the sudden Jin is pulled underwater.  Something is wrapped tightly around his ankle and he tries to kick it away.  His feet repeatedly slip agianst the floor as he tries to gain his footing in the water.  Jin can hear Namjoon's muffled yells from below the surface and he tries to free himself of whatever is holding onto him. 

 

He can barely see Namjoon's shadow above the water when Namjoon reaches down and blindly grabs for Jin's hand while he also reaches for the figure holding onto Jin before he pulls them out. 

 

Jin struggles for air as wipes the water from his eyes.

 

"Mr. Lee!  Are you alright?!" Namjoon asks.

 

"No!"  Mr. Lee's eyes grow frantic as he moves in front of Namjoon, grabbing onto Namjoon's shoulders and pushing him into the direction of the exit.  "Y-you both need to g-get out of here!" he violently shivers.  "There's something in the water!"

 

Jin notices Mr. Lee is covered in blood.  He can't figure out what is going on.

 

Namjoon's furrows his eyebrows, "What?"

 

A loud thud comes from Mr. Lee's office and they all turn to the sound with bated breath.  The fin of a medium-sized shark silently slips across the entrance of the office and their eyes widen in fear.

 

"Jin!" Namjoon frantically whispers.

 

Jin quickly takes in their surroundings.  The distance between them and the shark should give them enough time to make it back to the stairs if they move stealthily enough.

 

"Listen to me.  I can get us all out of here safely if we don't make any sudden movements," Jin calmly says as he watches the shark's the fin move across the office's entrance again.  "Mr. Lee, since you are the closest to the office, I need you to _slowly_ make your way stairs.  Namjoon and I will be right behind you."

 

Before Jin can even blink, Mr. Lee violently pushes past Namjoon as he tries his hardest to get to the stairs.

 

"Mr. Lee!  You're attracting too much attention!" Namjoon yells as his wide eyes follow the madman.

 

Jin moves his sights back to where the shark should be near the office, but he belatedly finds its fin whizzing past Namjoon's body and heading straight for Mr. Lee.

 

The man's screams are muffled as he's pulled down into the water and Namjoon screams. 

 

They're too far away from the stairs to make it away safely from the shark now.  Jin looks to his side and spots an elevator near him through the darkness.  The ship's heat and propeller may run on the power of the furnaces, but the rest of the ship runs on electricity, so the elevators should still work.  He makes quick of getting Namjoon's attention. 

 

"Namjoon!  It's too late for him, just get to the elevator!"

 

Namjoon hastily looks to Mr. Lee's office and then back to the captain, "But I need to get to the button that locks the engine room down!  The water will continue to rise if I don't!"

 

"There is no time for that," Jin yells.  "Do what I say.  _Now!_ "

 

Namjoon all but swims through the water as Jin clambers to the wall to call the elevator.  The water is violently splashing behind him and Jin doesn't dare to look back as he waits for the doors to open.  He rapidly presses the call button for the elevator, hoping that it will travel down faster.

 

A bell softly rings through the air and the doors finally open.  Jin falls into the cabin as the water floods in behind him.  He hastily turns his body to pull Namjoon in the rest of the way, but he keeps his head down, focusing solely on getting Namjoon into the elevator before the shark can get to him.

 

Jin uses the last of his adrenaline to trudge through the water and he slams his fist against the button to close the elevator's doors.  He sees a glimpse of Mr. Lee's hand reaching above the water before the doors close shut in front of him.

 

The water drains out of the elevator as it travels upwards through the ship.  Gravity takes over as Jin and Namjoon fall to the floor as they catch their breaths.  They're both soaking wet and in shock as they silently ride the elevator to the main floor.

 

Before Jin can ask Namjoon if he is okay, the elevator dings and the doors open. 

 

The first thing Jin sees is his wife turning around and yelling for him, but it runs faint to his ears. 

 

Sowon falls to her knees and wraps her arms around him, frantically checking over Jin and asking him questions that he can't bring himself to answer just yet.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Lemme know what you think, I am very appreciative of feedback.
> 
> See you in the next one~


	6. Sinking, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You couldn't just pay your debt, could you, Jungkook?"

 

 

 

 

 

**YERI**

 

_"The princess cut her hair," Yeri squirms in her nanny's lap, getting more comfortable within the woman's embrace.  "She can swim to her soulmate now, right?" she asks hopefully._

_"I don't know, I'll let you take over the storytelling for now.  So you tell me," The nanny looks down at Yeri with a soft smile on her lips._

_Yeri's eyebrows furrow in confusion.  Her and Yoongi always give the characters in their made-up stories a happy ending._

 

 _Maybe that doesn't always happen, maybe things don't always end up you want them to._ _This is a lot of thinking for a mere six-year-old._

 

_Yeri idly plays with her little hands, deep in thought._

_"The water isn't always as clear as it seems from the surface," her nanny speaks again.  "Yes, the princess can see her soulmate in the distance, but is she willing to swim through the unknown, or should she stay where she knows it will be safe for herself?"_

 

  
  
Yeri hazily blinks her eyes open. 

 

Her ears are ringing and her head terribly aches.  She pushes herself from the floor and props herself up on her elbow when she winces in discomfort. 

 

She looks down and notices a pair of scissors lodged just beneath her collarbone and she quickly covers her mouth in fear before she can scream.  A string of pain runs through Yeri's chest like lightning as she sits up.

 

She rests her back against the cool tile of the bathroom wall as she prepares herself to pull the scissors out of her skin.  The scissors aren't that deep, but she knows it's going to hurt like hell pulling it out.

 

Yeri gently wraps her hand around the handle of the scissors and she squeezes her eyes shut.  She barely pulls on the metal when she releases a pained yell.  Blood starts to trickle out of her wound and taint her dress. 

 

With ragged breath, she begins to pull on the handle again, this time clenching her jaw shut and fighting through the painful drag of the blades against the raw opening of the wound.

 

When the last of the scissors are finally pulled out, Yeri throws the shears to the floor.  She clamps a hand over the wound to block the bleeding as she stands with wobbly legs.  She reaches for a cloth towel and ties it over her shoulder, tightening the knot with a hard grimace.

 

Yeri leans onto the sink for support as she looks at herself in the mirror. 

 

She got what she wanted, her hair is short now.  She feels as if some kind of weight is lifted off of her, but at the same time, she feels indifferent about the new length of her hair. 

 

Yeri drags her fingers down from her temple to the shape of her jaw.  Her face is as pale as a ghost and her chest dully throbs.

 

She suddenly remembers why she fell to the floor. 

 

_Something happened to the ship.  It felt like the boat hit something._

 

Yeri needs to find her mom, she needs to find Tae— _I need to find Jungkook._

 

As if she's being tugged on by an invisible string, she hurriedly makes her out of the bathroom.  She bursts into the door and into the hallway when she is met with silence.  Yeri looks to her left and to the right.

 

The corridor is eerily quiet.

 

She steps into a hasteful pace and travels down the two flights of stairs that lead to the main floor. 

 

Yeri thought the top floor of the ship was calm, but the lobby is pure chaos.  Everyone is pushing past one another and yelling at each other out of unknown fear.

 

Yeri scans over the crowd and spots the familiar sight of Yoongi's blonde hair before she rushes over to him.  Yeri notices he has an arm wrapped around a woman's shoulder when she breaks through the human barrier.

 

"Yeri,"  Yoongi says as he acknowledges her sudden presence.  His eyes fall on the bloody towel wrapped around her shoulder.  He steps forward and places a comforting hand on her good shoulder.  "Oh my God, Yeri!  Are you alright?  What happened to you?!"

 

"That doesn't matter right now," Yeri waves him off as she looks behind herself and back to Yoongi.  "Have you seen Jungkook?"

 

Her compass is faintly humming, almost as if it's coming in and out of consciousness.

 

"What?"  Mild confusion laces Yoongi's features as he shakes his head.  "No, you need to be looking for your mother and Taehyung.  More importantly, you need to get looked at by a nurse—"

 

Yeri's compass vibrates in anger.  "He is my soulmate and I need to find him!" she cries out.

 

Yoongi stares at Yeri in shock at the new information.  She feels bad for letting Yoongi find out about her soulmate this way.

 

Before Yoongi can open his mouth say something, a man rushes up to Yeri with a woman following behind him.  Yeri recognizes them from earlier, the man played with the band and the woman sang with Jungkook.

 

"You said you were looking for Jungkook?" the man inquires and Yeri quickly nods her head. 

 

"We're looking for him, too.  He was with us earlier," the woman informs.   

 

The pair standing in front of Yeri look just as concerned as her.

 

"This is probably _the worst_ time for introductions, but I'm Jimin," the man quickly grimaces through a timid smile before he gestures towards the woman beside him, "And this is Solbin.  We're close friends with Jungkook.  We know where his room is, we were actually about to go down there, but the staff seems to be blocking the stairwells and the elevators."

 

The woman by Yoongi quietly speaks up.  "There's a set of stairs that only the engine crew uses...over there," she points to a door near the corner of the lobby that has been left unattended by the ship's staff.  "I can guide you there.  It leads down to the performers' and the engine room crew's floor."

 

Yoongi gently grabs her arm with concern, "Jisoo, are you sure about this?"

 

"Yes," Jisoo says distantly nods.  Yeri can tell something has bad happened, the air around Jisoo feels heavy.  "She needs help finding her soulmate, so that's what I'm going to do."

 

"We're coming, too," Jimin says as he steps forward with Solbin.  He looks intently into Yeri's eyes.  "Everyone took a pretty bad fall when the ship jerked like that...  He may be hurt."

 

The soft ring of a bell distantly sounds through the air and Yeri turns in the direction of the sound.

 

"Oh my God, Jin!" a woman yells.  She runs over to the elevator and gathers the captain of the ship in her arms, frantically checking over him.  "Dear, are you alright?  You're soaking wet—Jin?  Honey, I need you to answer me.  Can you hear what I'm saying?  Seokjin!"  She cups his face with her hands, trying to get him to look her in the eyes.

 

A small crowd starts to gather around the sudden commotion with murmured questions.  Yeri, Jimin, Solbin, Yoongi, and Jisoo curiously step forward to see what is going on.

 

There are hints of blood covering the men and a few women gasp within the crowd.

 

Namjoon stumbles out the elevator and falls to his knees.  "Life jackets..." the naval architect mumbles aloud.  His eyes suddenly snap open and quickly scan the crowd for the staff.  "Please," he shakily stands to his feet grips onto a male staff's sleeve nearest to him.  "Get everyone a life jacket!  The ship is sinking!"

 

Everyone in the lobby begins to panic, pushing and shoving one another to get to life jackets lining the railing outside on the deck.  The staff that isn't guarding the elevators and stairs are frantically trying to distribute the life jackets, but the crowd bombards the exit of the lobby. 

 

Yeri is jostled to the floor and Solbin quickly moves to help her stand.

 

"Are you alright?" Solbin pulls on Yeri's good arm and hoists her up.

 

"I'm okay," Yeri winces at the faint pain in her chest.

 

The captain silently removes the woman's hands from his face and he slowly stands, leaving her on her knees as people run frantically run around them.  Jin grabs her hand and says something that Yeri can't quite hear, then he jogs out of the lobby to a stairwell leading up to the ship's commanding center.

 

All of a sudden a bright red light flashes through the lobby and voices yell out in fear. 

 

Yeri and the rest all look to the glass wall lining the other side of the lobby to find one of the ship's staff is standing outside and holding a flare gun to the air.  He shoots another flare into the midnight sky and the guests duck and scream at the sudden sound.

 

"If we want to find Jungkook, we need to hurry," Jimin says.  "They'll be loading the lifeboats soon." 

 

"Yeri!"

 

Yeri turns to find her mother rushing towards her. 

 

"Foolish girl, where on earth have you been?!  And where is Taehyung?  They say the boat is sinking!" she buckles her life jacket over her chest before she pushes another life jacket into Yeri's chest.  "They are letting the first class guests board the lifeboats first.  Yoongi, I would strongly suggest that you should come, too," she says over Yeri's shoulder.  "Ah, my fur coat will be ruined if it touches the water!  Put on your jacket, Yeri.  We are leaving," she grabs onto Yeri's wrist and begins to pull her daughter in the direction of the corridor leading outside.

 

 _What do you mean 'where have you been'?  You sent me to my room!  I'm hurt and you don't notice!_ Yeri screams in her mind.   _Who cares about class, who cares about a stupid fur coat, who cares about what I want?!_

 

Yeri plants her feet and pulls against her mother.  "No," she says firmly.

 

"Yeri, what are you doing?" her mother looks back with confusion in her eyes before she tugs on Yeri's arm again.  "It is so loud in here, I can't hear a single thing.  We can talk once we are on a boat!"

 

"I said no, mother!" Yeri speaks up.  "I need to find Jungkook."

 

"That street rat you were fraternizing with earlier?" her mother tuts her tongue in annoyance.  "What are trying to be with him?  Some kind of whore?" she says in disgust.  "Your father and I did not raise you like this!"

 

That fact that Jungkook is Yeri's soulmate just isn't getting through to her mother. 

 

"I would rather be his whore than some pawn in your chess game, mother," Yeri fires back.  "And my _father_ did most raising, if I recall correctly."

 

Her mother widens her eyes at that, "You!  You are such a fool," Yeri's mother yells.

 

"And you have no empathy," Yeri snatches her hand from her mother's grip with a sad face. 

 

She crosses her arms over he chest and slightly shrinks into herself.  She feels bad for making her friends see the scene her and her mother are making. 

 

"I will get on another boat and I will find you later, but I need to find my soulmate right now," and Yeri walks away from her mother.

 

"Yeri!" her mother yells over the crowd, but it runs deaf her daughter's ears.  "Yeri, come back here this instant!"

 

Yeri pushes against the crowd, not caring about who she bumps into or the angry looks she's getting. 

 

She feels like she's hit her limit, a ticking time-bomb that could go off at any second.  She just needs to find Jungkook and be with him.

 

A gentle hand curls around Yeri's upper arm and she almost explodes before she notices that it's Yoongi.

 

"Hey," he says softly, a big contrast to loud voices on the other side of the lobby.  "You're not alone," he says and Yeri casts her watery eyes behind him, finding Solbin, Jioo, and Jimin all sympathetically looking at her.  "You don't have to do things by yourself anymore."

 

And that's all Yeri needed to hear. 

 

She's always doing things on her own, casting herself away in spaces she feels unwelcome, and she's the one picking herself up from her mother's overwhelming demands when her father isn't around to do so.

 

Yeri wipes her tears away and she nimbly nods. 

 

She breathes in, deeply inhaling and exhaling like Yoongi taught her to when she would end up crying on his front door because of something hurtful her mother said to her in back in their teens.

 

She then turns to her new friends with a desperate, pleading look in her eyes.  "Please, take me to Jungkook."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**JUNGKOOK**

 

Jungkook comfortably lies on his stomach and breathes in the scent of fresh linens as he scrunches his eyes against the morning sunlight spilling into the room. 

 

A soft breeze flows into the room and the sound of the beach is faintly heard in the distance. 

 

Jungkook rolls over in bed with a sleepy yawn.  He feels the lightest kiss being placed on his forehead and he cracks an eye open. 

 

Yeri is there, as clear as day, just basking in the sun's glow. 

 

She's lying over her pillow with her arm propping her head up, looking as if she's been watching Jungkook sleep for a while now.  The comforter of the bed pools just above her breasts, her soft skin welcoming his touch.

 

"You wake as peaceful as you sleep," Yeri says sincerely, running her fingers through his hair.  She pulls her hand back with a concerned look in her eyes as she gazes at her fingers.  "Jungkook...  You're bleeding."

 

Jungkook is awakened by a swift punch to his mouth and he rolls his head upright with a groan. 

 

He can taste the sourness of his own blood in the corner of his bottim lip and his head is dangerously throbbing to the point of blacking out.

 

He violently shivers.  _Why is it so cold?_ _Where am I?_  Jungkook asks himself.

 

He remembers telling Jimin that he would meet him for Jinye's birthday party before he excused himself to his room.  Jungkook was looking for the necklace he had been keeping in his bag to give to Taehyung, but he couldn't find it for some reason. 

 

Something hard hit his head...  He has a faint memory of the feeling of being dragged, but he can't remember much after that.

 

He slowly blinks and looks around the room he's in as he tries to sit up straighter against the wall.  Jungkook's vision is going in and out as he tries to make out his surroundings, but he can vaguely see a person standing beside a chair a few feet away from him.

 

"About time you woke up," a deep voice speaks.  "You are very heavy, you know that?"

 

Jungkook knows this voice.  "Taehyung?" he questions.

 

Jungkook tries to lift a hand to wipe at the blood near his temple when he realizes he can't. 

 

He tugs his wrists upwards and winces at the taut rope holding his hands together.  Jungkook's eyes follow the rope from his lap to it being tied around a large pipe running from the floor to the ceiling.

 

He begins to panic.  "What is this?  What's going on?"

 

Taehyung slips his hands into his pockets and stalks towards Jungkook with an unreadable look on his face as Jungkook shrinks back against the wall.

 

"You couldn't just pay your debt, could you, Jungkook?" Taehyung asks in return.

 

Jungkook flinches at Taehyung's words. 

 

_How does he know about the money I owe?_

 

No one knows about the money he owes, not even Yeri.  Only the loan sharks that manage to almost successfully track him down from time to time know.

  
   
"How did you—"

  
   
"You are such a good runner," Taehyung bitterly compliments Jungkook.  "My men would be so close to finding you and then you would just...disappear," he pushes air between his teeth to mimic the sound of something vanishing in thin air, "Just like that.  Amazing, really."

 

Jungkook's forehead crinkles in question before realization dawns on his face.

 

"Ah," Taehyung happily clicks his tongue.  "Looks like he's finally getting it.  Should we give him a prize?"

 

Jungkook realizes this is the very man he has been running from all this time.  The man he borrowed money from and couldn't pay back.  He should've put two and two together he finally put Taehyung's name with his face.

 

"Looking for this?" Taehyung pulls a necklace from his pocket.  The very necklace that Jungkook was supposed to deliver to Taehyung.  "A beauty, isn't she?  'Supposed to be hand-delivered to Japan.  Someone paid an arm and a leg for this piece."

 

"Y'know," Taehyung squats down in front of Jungkook with a small smirk on his lips, his elbows resting on his bent knees.  "For the past year, I have just  _dreamed_ of the day I would catch you.  I wondered what I would say to you," he slips his hand inside of his coat, "I even wondered what I would _do_ to you," he says as he roughly sticks a pistol on the underside of Jungkook's jaw.

 

Jungkook clenches his teeth together and his breathing quickens at Taehyung's sudden action, but Jungkook keeps his eyes steady on him.

 

"I wonder if I should just kill you or make you a slave like the peasant you are," Taehyung says.

 

"I am not a peasant," Jungkook spits.

 

"But it is a fact that you do have _less_ money than me," Taehyung says matter-of-factly.  "I bet you don't have a single cent to your name, how else could you have gotten onto this boat?"

 

"That was you," Jungkook answers, ignoring the other man's insult.  "You made that merchant give me that necklace.  You baited me!"

 

"Correct again!" Taehyung suddenly says and Jungkook watches Taehyung pull the gun away from his face, he can finally breathe.  "I figured you would to want to get out of South Korea at some point in time," he innocently shrugs.  "So you got word of a free ticket to escape and you took my bait."

 

 

_"Are you the merchant with the free ticket?  Will you give it to me?"_

 

_"I will, but only on one condition.  You can get your ticket if you take this necklace off my hands.”_

 

 

"I knew who you were the whole time, Jungkook," Taehyung continues.  "I just wanted to see you run around like a fool before I caught you."

 

Jungkook swallows, his adam's apple nervously bobbing under his skin.  The last thing Jungkook wants to do is die, but he doesn't know why Taehyung is dragging this out.

 

Taehyung bitterly chuckles, "And now that I got you where I want you, everything should be fine for me, right?"  he stands and innocently kicks out his foot, splashing water onto Jungkook's face.  "You not only took my money without returning it—and I wasn't expecting this next part—but you also had the _audacity_ to take my future wife," he gravely says.

  
   
Jungkook fully takes in his surroundings now.  A shallow pool of water is slowly filling the room and Taehyung stands ankle deep in it.  The water is ice-cold and Jungkook violently shivers.

 

"Let me ask you something, Jungkook," Taehyung stuffs his free hand in his pocket, "Yeri has a very expensive taste in clothes.  Chanel, Schiaparelli, Lanvin, the list goes on," he lazily waves his gun in the air.  "Any of those names ring a bell?  Of course they don't, what would someone like you know about high-end fashion?"

 

Jungkook glares at Taehyung and says nothing.

 

"But that is what Yeri likes," Taehyung goes on.  "Yeri is used to having money, she's used to having a roof over her head, she's used to going on trips and staying in lavish hotels.  Can you provide that for her?"

 

Jungkook closes his eyes and considers what Taehyung is trying to say.  He may not have all the money in the world, but he is the one that is destined to be with Yeri, _and that should count, right?_

 

"Money doesn't bring you happiness," Jungkook retorts.

 

"But it does keep me from pitifully living on the streets and starving," Taehyung bites back.  "I'll share with you what I told Yeri earlier.  People only find their soulmates in children's storybooks.  Even on the rare occasion that we do find our soulmates in real life, the success rate of bonded pairs is very low," he sighs. 

 

"Yeri and I both come from families of wealth and power and influence, and that is the only world we know.  So, let's say you suddenly come into the picture and all you have to offer is 'love'.  Do you think that's going to last long?" Taehyung laughs.  "I can give Yeri everything she wants and more, love can come later.  Because _just love_ doesn't pay the bills, _just love_ doesn't feed you when you are hungry, so why in world would she fall out of the security of her inheritance for someone of the likes of _you_?  Her mother would cut her from the family register without hesitation."

 

Jungkook flinches at that. 

 

He never really gave much thought of life with his soulmate outside of the ship.  He barely has money to support himself, how can he take care of another person? 

 

He and Yeri are from two different worlds. 

 

They're cut from two different cloths.

  
   
"The ship is sinking," Taehyung informs him.  He lightly taps his gun against his chin.  "I was planning on shooting various parts of you until you bled out, but maybe I should let the water do its job and have you drown here.  Maybe you'll suffer from hypothermia first, it would be more convenient and less messy.  Yeri would never know."

  
   
Jungkook begins to panic.  He pulls against the rope holding his hands down and he yells in frustration as his wrists turn red from the rough friction.   "Please—Don't do this!"

  
   
Taehyung points his gun right in between Jungkook's eyes. "You should have thought about that earlier when you were kissing another man's fiance," 

 

Jungkook closes his eyes and Taehyung shoots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**YOONGI**

 

The sounds of the chaotic lobby are beginning to be too much for Yoongi. 

 

Yoongi tries not to think about Jisoo's brother's body lying alone in an empty room.  She won't even get to bury him since the ship is sinking. 

 

_What will she tell her father..._

 

He holds Jisoo's hand tightly against his and he feels her squeeze back in return.  His compass constantly vibrates and he hopes Jisoo's compass is doing the same as a reminder that she still has someone on the ship that dearly cares her. 

 

He wouldn't be afraid to admit he loves Jisoo, but that would be a conversation for later.

 

He looks over to his soulmate to see that she's deep in thought also.  Her eyes look so far away.

 

"Jisoo," Yoongi softly calls.

 

Jisoo's body language changes as she snaps back to reality.  She continues walking to the door that leads down to the performers' floor.

 

Jisoo twists the handle and walks through the door.  Yoongi and the others follow as she leads the group into a small corridor that has a metal door on the left and an elevator on the right. 

 

She makes her way to the door and motions to twist its handle, but she finds it to be locked.  Jisoo curses under breath.  She turns to the group and tells them that she left the key to the door in her room.

 

"Well, what floor is your room on?" Jimin asks hopefully.  "We can go fetch it and come right back."

 

"It's on the same floor we're trying to get to," Yoongi tells him as he scratches the back of his neck as nervously looks between Jisoo and Jimin.

 

Jimin furrows his eyebrows and looks to Jisoo in question.  "Wait.  Do you work here?"

 

Jisoo opens her mouth, but nothing comes out.  She can't tell them about her other identity.  Right now isn't the time.

 

"That isn't important right now," Yoongi dismisses Jimin's question as he moves to the other side of the hall.  "Let's just take the elevator."  

 

"Does the elevator even work?" Solbin questions.

 

Jisoo presses the call button and it glows with a yellow light.  "Looks like it does," she says quietly.

 

They all enter the elevator when its doors slide open and Yoongi presses the button to go to the fifth floor of the ship.  A soft ding rings through the air and the elevator begins to descend.

 

Hushed breathing is the only thing that can be heard within the small cabin.  The elevator travels down at a slower speed than usual, but Yoongi just blames it on his nerves.  He really hopes that Jungkook is okay. 

 

Jisoo rests her head against Yoongi's shoulder.  Yoongi leans his head over hers, briefly closing his tired eyes before water suddenly begins to gush through the floor of the elevator.

 

"What in the world?!" Jimin yells as bitter water engulfs everyone's feet.

 

"Oh my God!" Solbin screams as she backs herself against the wall and Yeri holds onto her.

 

The elevator's doors open with a ding and Yoongi pries the doors open with his hands when they open too slow for his liking. 

 

He trudges out of the cabin through calf-high water and turns around in time to catch Yeri as she stumbles out of the cabin.  Yoongi quickly balances Yeri upright before he helps Jisoo and Solbin out of the elevator. 

 

The water is so cold.  He can literally feel the ends of his toes turning blue.

 

"Jungkook's room is this way!  We need to hurry," Jimin says as he leads the group down the long hallway. 

 

He all but rips the door to Jungkook's room open and they pile inside to find nothing but random articles of clothes and an old guitar floating in the water.  Jimin runs a shaky hand through his hair before he turns around to the group. 

 

"If he's not in his room then where could he be?" Solbin asks wearily.

 

Yoongi anxiously chews on his bottom lip before he treks out of the room.  He stands in the middle of the hallway looking to the right and then to his left.  He spots a door left ajar down the hall and he instinctively moves towards it as the others follow after him. 

 

As Yoongi gets closer to the door he notices a bit of blood staining the white paint above the handle.  His hand slowly inches towards the door to open it, but a voice stops him.

 

"Please—Don't do this!" Jungkook pleads.

 

Yoongi cracks the door open a little more and peeks in to see Taehyung's back facing him.  He sees that Jungkook is tied to a large pipe lining the room. 

 

He notices the gun Taehyung has resting at his side, and Yoongi vision goes red.

 

"You should have thought about that earlier when you were kissing another man's fiance," Taehyung says as he points the gun in Jungkook's face.

 

At that, Yoongi flings the door open and fights the pull of the water on his feet as he runs for Taehyung.  A single gunshot rips through the air as Yoongi tackles Taehyung from behind.  Yoongi can hear yelling and screaming overhead but needs to deal with Taehyung.

 

Taehyung falls face-first into the shallow water, his styled hair and his fancy suit darkened by the freezing liquid.  He tries to push himself up, but Yoongi is unrelenting as he places all of his weight on top of Taehyung.

 

Jimin lunges forward and stomps down on Taehyung's hand and snatches the pistol from him.  Taehyung throws his head back to headbutt Yoongi in the face and successfully uses all of his might to push up against Yoongi's weight. 

 

"Enough!" Jimin yells.

 

The whole room falls silent.

 

Yoongi looks up from his spot on the floor and sees Jimin holding Taehyung's pistol.  Jimin's hands are shaking terribly.

 

Taehyung slowly rises and steps forward with a small smirk on his lips.  "You should leave that gun to someone that knows how to use it."

 

Yeri steps into the room after that.  "Taehyung!"

 

"Don't come any closer," Jimin shakes.  "I-I'll shoot, I swear!" he says as he tightens his hold on the gun.

 

Taehyung lurches towards Jimin and dodges the bullet that goes flying for him when Jimin closes his eyes and pulls the trigger.  Taehyung moves to grab at Jimin's hands, but the younger man throws the gun to the floor before Taehyung can get his hands on the pistol.

 

Taehyung punches Jimin across his face, and as if he knows he won't be getting his gun back, he runs for Yeri, turning her back against his chest as he pulls out a knife from behind him and places it over Yeri's throat.

 

Yoongi quickly recovers and he scrambles for the gun.  Once Yoongi feels his fingers wrap around the metal, he sits back and aims the gun right at Taehyung. 

 

Taehyung positions himself and Yeri so he can see everyone in the room.  His eyes slowly wander over to the door where Jisoo and Solbin stand, to Jimin, who is standing protectively in front of Jungkook, and then to Yoongi.

 

"Well, isn't this unfortunate," Taehyung sighs.  Yeri starts to struggle against him and he tightens the arm that's wrapped around her torso.

 

Yoongi darts his eyes over to Jungkook.  He lies slumped against the wall, his eyes are closed, and his lips are starting to turn blue.  Red stains his white button-up, and the barely-there rise and fall of Jungkook's chest is the only indicator that still he's alive.

 

Yoongi can't lose another person he cares about on this God-forsaken ship.  He can't lose anyone else in _general_.

 

Yoongi has no idea why Taehyung has Jungkook tied up but he needs to get everyone out of this situation.

 

"Let her go," Yoongi instructs shakily to Taehyung— _God, I can't cry right now_ , "Now!" he pulls his thumb back over the pistol's hammer and jerks the gun at Taehyung.

 

Taehyung shakes his head.  "You'll have to shoot Yeri if you want to shoot me, Yoongi," he says over Yeri's shoulder.  "And don't think you want to do that."

 

Jungkook shifts and begins to murmur through his unconscious state. 

 

"Jungkook, I'm right here!" Yeri cries, trying to pry Taehyung's heavy arm off of her chest.

 

The water is filling up the room and it ripples over Taehyung's knees, and Yoongi takes that as a cue to get to his feet.

 

"Were you planning on shooting him?" Yoongi asks.

 

"He was bad business," is all Taehyung tells him.  "You should pick better friends," he says after a moment.

 

"And who would that be?  You?" Yoongi scoffs in disbelief.  

 

"He'll just leech off of you for your money.  They all do," Taehyung adverts his eyes from Yoongi, clearly upset by how the situation turned out for him.  "What are you going to do now, shoot me?  It wouldn't be the first time a Min was found holding gun to a Kim."

 

Yoongi his forehead crinkles in question.  "What are you talking about?"  When Taehyung remains silent, Yoongi steps closer with the gun, "Tell me now!"

 

Taehyung exhales through his mouth as he adjusts his hold on Yeri.  "My family is the leading jewelry company in the country and your family operates leading airplane company in the country.  My company ships our products to many countries outside of South Korea, and what form of transportation travels to destinations faster than automobiles, trains, or cargo ships?  Airplanes."

 

"My father kept making deals with yours to merge our companies together, but your father would always tell him no and my father...couldn't take no for an answer," Taehyung tells him.  "I can't deny your father helped mine get to where our company is today, but my father just couldn't get past his greed."

 

"How does Yeri tie into all of this?" he says as he looks at her.  "Her family is the leading shipping and logistics company in the country.  Partnering with them would be a great investment," Taehyung says diplomatically.  "Her father doesn't snoop around and ask questions like your father.  If he wouldn't have found out we were also hiding drugs in our jewelry, maybe he wouldn't be dead," he says easily.

 

"Stop talking,"  Yoongi says quietly.  Tears begin to stream down Yoongi's face and his body shakes in anger.

 

"One day, your father pulls a gun on mine and he threatens him.  Not too long after that...my father has one of his men sabotage one of your father's airplanes.  Just to shake him up a bit if he was planning on informing the cops."

 

 _The plane crash wasn't an accident...  It_   _was planned...  And Taehyung is only marrying Yeri for the sake of a business deal._

 

"He didn't think your family would use that plane that night.  He thought one of your father's employees would use it," Taehyung tries to reason.

 

"Shut up!" Yoongi wraps both of his hands around the grip pistol.  "That's why you didn't come to the funeral!" Yoongi sobs through his clenched teeth.  "You were never sorry!  Your father killed my parents!"

 

All Yoongi needs to do is send one bullet through Taehyung's skull to end his life and avenge the death of his parents.

 

"Yoongi!" Jisoo screams from where she's planted under the doorway.  "Please, don't shoot him!  God, please— _Yoongi_!  This isn't you!  We all need to get out of here!"

 

Yoongi snaps out of his rage at the sound of his soulmate's voice.  His compass violently vibrates in his pocket, mimicking Jisoo's distress. 

 

The water is reaching their thighs now.  The rope that held Jungkook now floating between the two men.

 

Yoongi breathes through his nose and begins to take the small pistol apart, remembering what his father taught him about guns when he was younger.  He looks into the barrel and notices there are no bullets...because Jimin used the last one.

 

"Look at how ridiculous you look, Yoongi," Taehyung airily scoffs.  "You shouldn't let your emotions take control of you."

 

Taehyung told Yoongi all of that on purpose.

 

Jimin looks apologetically to Yoongi.

 

"We'll be taking our leave now," Taehyung says as he begins to walk him and Yeri to the exit of the room.  

 

Yoongi starts to move to attempt to save Yeri before Taehyung points his knife at him.

 

"Stay where you are," he warns before he places the knife against Yeri's neck again.  "Don't make me do something I'll regret, Yoongi."

 

Jisoo and Solbin hurriedly move out of the way for Taehyung and Yeri to pass.

 

The room is deathly quiet, save the sound of the water softly rippling off of the furniture in the room.

 

Jisoo runs over to Yoongi and wraps her arms around him and begins to cry into the crook of his neck.

 

Yoongi feels the warmth of Jisoo around him, Yoongi feels the freezing temperature of the water on his legs, Yoongi feels his body radiating the last of the adrenaline surging through his veins. 

 

But at the same time, Yoongi feels _nothing_...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
   
**JIMIN**

 

Jimin undoes the rope tied around Jungkook's irritated wrists with a heavy heart.  

 

Jimin looks to Solbin, who has a hand cupped over her mouth with tears in her eyes.

 

Yoongi stands almost lifeless as Jisoo holds onto him.  Jimin has no idea about the history between Yoongi and Taehyung but...   _Taehyung's father killed Yoongi's parents..._

 

"We...  We should go," Jimin tells them all.

 

 

 

The incline of the ship is beginning to steadily grow steep as they walk. 

 

Jungkook feels so cold in Jimin's arms.  The warm blood trickling from Jungkook's belly widely contrasts to wintry water rippling against Jimin's waist with every step he takes.

 

Jimin spares the younger a glance before he quickly regrets it.  Jungkook looks as if he's dead, and Jimin would rather not think of his friend like that. 

 

As the group treks the hallway, the lights mounted along the walls begin to dim until they are almost out. 

 

"W-what's happening," Solbin panics.

 

They all begin to breathe heavily as the ship whines in protest against the intruding water in the darkness.

 

"The water must be overflowing the electrical room," Jisoo says.

 

The ship slightly tilts backwards and the group yelps at the sudden shift.  Jimin huffs as he shifts his balance and Jungkook's weight in his arms, and he waits with baited breath.

 

The lights slowly come back to life and the group releases the breaths they were holding.

 

The light hanging over the elevator is flickering before it sparks and the glass breaks.

 

"We should take the stairs," Solbin says quietly.

 

Jimin nods in agreement before he turns around, but he stops when he realizes that the elevator is on one side of the hallway and the stairs is on the other, and the side of the long hallway that the stairs are on is almost filled to the ceiling with water.

 

They all wade in waist-deep water for now, but they'll have to swim to get to the stairs.

 

Yoongi looks over to the other end of the hall and then back at Jimin before the lights completely go out.  The backup generator kicks in a second later and a single light near the stairwell is their source of light.

 

"The generator is only powering the lights, so the elevator isn't an option," Jisoo informs them.

 

Solbin, Jisoo, and Yoongi begin walking and eventually swimming down the hall, and Jimin stays still as he looks down at Jungkook.

 

Sure, Jimin can swim, but he has never swum with an unconscious body before.  The stair they need to get is covered in water.  They'll have to swim underwater in order to reach it.

 

"Jimin!" Yoongi pulls the younger from his thoughts.

 

Jimin shakily nods and begins to move near his friends.  When the water takes over gravity, Jimin keeps one hand on a floating Jungkook as he moves his arms and legs to keep his head above water. 

 

Wisps of Jungkook's blood leaves a thin trail behind them as Jimin continues to swim with him in tow.  Jimin's head is almost touching the ceiling when he reaches the rest of the group.

 

"Here," Yoongi reaches for Jungkook's arm, "Let me handle Jungkook and you go ahead," Yoongi tells him.

 

"You'll only be underwater for a second," Jisoo tells the group.  "Be mindful of the ceiling as you go under and you should be fine."

 

Jisoo dips under the water first, her dark figure disappearing under the edge of the ceiling before she's completely gone, and then Solbin.

 

Jimin takes a deep breath before he submerges his head underwater. 

 

The icy water makes him more alert as he swims below the ceiling and then up when sees Solbin's hand reaching out for him.  He lets his friend pull him out of the water and onto the steps before he hears Yoongi break the water's surface behind him.

 

Solbin and Jisoo move quickly to lug Jungkook's body out of the water and Jimin does the same with Yoongi before the blonde hoists Jungkook into his arms.

 

"These stairs lead us all the way up to lobby," Jisoo informs the group and Jimin praises the high heavens because he is sick of this cold water.

 

Jisoo leads everyone up two flights of stairs when the whole realizes this is the very door that was locked.

 

"It only locks from the outside, right?" Solbin violently shivers from behind Jisoo.  "This is the kind of door that can be opened from the inside, right?" she tries again when Jisoo doesn't answer.

 

"No," is all Jisoo says.

 

"What?" Jimin startles.  "You've got to be joking!  Are telling me we are stuck here?!  We're going to die in this stairwell and no one will know!"

 

"Jimin, you need to calm down," Yoongi says as he sets Jungkook down against the wall.  "Everyone stand back."

 

Yoongi on the wall opposite from the door and rams himself into it.  The heavy sound of a clothed shoulder hitting a metal door resonates through the stairwell.

 

Jisoo leans over a pale Jungkook and presses her hands over his bleeding abdomen to stop some of the blood from flowing out, and Solbin stands shivering near Jimin.

 

Jimin leans over the railing of the stairs.  The water isn't stopping any time soon and he wants so badly to get out of this trapped space.

 

"Yoongi, you're going to hurt yourself," Jisoo cautiously warns.

 

Yoongi keeps ramming himself into the door with no avail.  Jimin can tell he's growing tired.  The air is starting to get thin and it's hard to tell sweat from the residue of water atop Yoongi's brow.

 

"Stop," Jimin urges as rests a hand on the man's shoulder.  "Let me try."

 

Jimin wrings out his arms as he stands before the door.  He breathes in through his nose and slams his shoulder into the door.

 

_I need to get Jungkook out of here._

 

Jimin rams himself into the door a second time.

_I need to save my friends._

 

Again, for the third time, harder than the first.

_I need to get out of here so I can find my soulmate._

 

Jimin runs into the door for the fourth time when he misses the door completely and falls onto the carpeted floor of the main hall.

 

"Jimin!" Hoseok gasps.  His mouth is hanging wide open as Jimin looks up at the pianist from the floor. 

 

"Mr. Jung," Jimin replies in disbelief.

 

"I was so worried!  I was waiting for you and Solbin when I heard a sound coming from this corridor."

 

Jimin laughs aloud in relief and spreads himself out across the floor like a starfish.  He didn't know how much more his poor shoulder would've taken if Hoseok didn't open the door in time.

 

Hoseok bends down to lift Jimin from the floor as he looks to the rest of the group before him.  "Are you all alright?" he asks, taking in their soaked clothes.

 

"Yes, but not all of us,"  Yoongi comes forward with Jungkook lying limply in his arms.  "He's still alive, but he's losing too much blood."

 

"Thank God, you found him...  Come with me," Hoseok gestures as he begins walking to lobby.  "All the lifeboats are gone, but Captain Jin got in touch with a Japanese tanker ship that was nearby to get the rest of guests and staff off the ship.  We can get Nurse Sowon to look at Jungkook when we get him on the tanker."

 

Jimin follows the group as Hoseok guides them outside to the deck.  The winter air practically knocks the breath out of Jimin, but he continues to walk with his shivering body.

 

The deck is less chaotic than when they first left it.  Jimin notices Nurse Sowon, Jin, and Namjoon guiding the last of the guests and the beginning of the ship's staff unto the Japanese tanker.

 

"Namjoon," Solbin cries as she runs towards him.

 

"Solbin?"  Namjoon is quick to turn his head and catch his soulmate in his arms, "No wonder my compass kept vibrating, you're still on the ship.  You should have been on a lifeboat!" his face scrunches in frustration and relief as he buries his cheek into the damp hair at the top of her head.  "I was so scared!  I had no idea where you were, but I had to be everywhere at once and everything was so crazy—"

 

"It's alright, it's alright," Solbin shushes him as she pulls back to look into his eye.  "We're together now," she whispers as she hugs him again.

 

Jimin is shivering so hard that he misses the quick pulse of his compass as he watches the sweet scene before him.

 

Sowon quickly takes control of the situation as soon as she sees Jungkook hanging in Yoongi's arms.  "Let's get him onto the tanker," she says as she ushers the group onto the ramp holding the two ships together.

 

The rest of the staff evacuates the sinking ship and Jimin is glad that everyone is getting off the ship in one piece.  He had no intentions of accepting death in that tight stairwell.

 

Just as he is about to step off the ramp and into the tanker, he somehow misses his footing and he trips.  A soft hand grips onto his and just when he is about to thank the person that saved from falling, he looks down and notices strange.

 

Sandwiched perfectly between Jimin's and a woman hand lies his compass.

 

The metal contraption vibrates between their hands and Jimin snatches his back in disbelief.

 

The woman thoughtfully rubs her thumb over the top of the compass, watching the magnetic needle go through a cycle of spinning and pointing towards her over and over again before she looks up. 

 

A smile crosses her lips before she says, "H-hello.  You are my soulmate?"

 

Jimin grins at the thick Japanese accent throwing off her Korean pronunciation, but Jimin can understand his soulmate just fine.

 

He steps down into the boat and simply nods, words not coming easily to him, before he places his hand over his compass in the woman's hand and introduces himself with a racing heart.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Lemme know what you think, I am very appreciative of feedback.
> 
> See you in the next chapter ~


	7. The Wound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't love you anymore, Taehyung... That's the only thing I know right now."

 

 

 

 

 

**YERI**

 

"Jungkook," Yeri heavily moans as Jungkook buries his head in the crook of her neck.  

 

He only softly grunts in reply, letting the tips of his lips travel the column of her neck.  

 

The room is filled with labored breathing, the windows are heavily fogged from the heat, and a white wedding dress lies innocently on the floor in front of a standing mirror.  

 

One of Yeri's hands is gripping at Jungkook's side, short nails curling into the plush skin right below his ribs, and she lets her other hand trail her soulmate's arm before she rests it at his sweaty nape.   

 

She anchors the heels of her feet at the small of his back, her toes curling at the sentiment of them being connected in the most intimate way possible.  The feeling has her stomach dropping and her body almost exploding at the tenderness in Jungkook's movements.  Jungkook lifts his head then, stopping his languid motions as he affectionately looks his soulmate in the eyes.  

 

Yeri uses the pads of her fingers to brush away the hair matted to his forehead as she smiles up at him.  Her eyes travel down to his moving his lips, but everything Jungkook is saying is muted.   

 

She furrows her eyebrows in confusion before the door to the bedroom unexpectedly bursts open and a demented-looking Taehyung is suddenly stalking towards them.  

 

Yeri frantically looks back to Jungkook then, his face still holding a sweet fondness, unknowing of Taehyung's presence in the room.  She wants to scream at Jungkook so badly to tell him they need to get away, but she can't.

 

And then it's all happening in slow-motion.  

 

Taehyung grabs Jungkook by the shoulder and violently throws him off of Yeri.  Jungkook's eyes grow wide as he's forced off the bed, and Yeri should have heard the sound of Jungkook's body hitting the floor, but it's almost like all the noise in the room has been sucked into a vacuum.  

 

Yeri's ears painfully ring at the absence of sound, the white noise pricking her eardrums.  Her naked and exposed form is stuck to the mattress.  It's like she can't move no matter how hard she tries.  She tries to fight the invisible force holding her down, but she simply can't.  

 

Yeri turns her head against the softness of the pillows just time to see Taehyung reach into his coat and pull out a pistol.  The taut veins under his skin contract as his arm pivots upward against the silent force of the bullet leaving the short barrel.   

 

Thick blood splatters against the nightstand and the dark liquid ricochets onto Yeri's pale skin.  

 

Without hesitation, Taehyung then aims his gun at Yeri. 

 

And he shoots.  

 

Yeri jolts out of her unconscious state with a start.   

 

The night is stark against the bright moon and the air is harshly brisk.  The small lifeboat they are in is packed with people wearing bulky life jackets over their expensive dinner attire.  Everyone is frantically whispering amongst themselves as two of the staff employees from the cruise ship row the boat.  

 

Yeri then remembers how the ship was sinking and how she was with Yoongi and the others looking for Jungkook.   

 

 _Taehyung shot Jungkook...  He fought with Yoongi and Jimin.  And Taehyung had a knife to my throat...  He dragged me into an elevator and_ —  

 

"You are awake," Taehyung comments as he wraps his arm tighter around her back.  

 

Yeri eyes grow wide with realization and she jumps away from Taehyung's side to the seat sitting opposite of him.

 

Yeri notices she has a scarf wrapped around her neck.  She runs her fingers over the soft material of the scarf.  She knows it isn't Taehyung's because it smells of a woman's sweet perfume.  The front of her neck oddly throbs with a faint pain.  She reaches under the scarf and flinches at the sudden sting, like the skin there is heavily bruised.  

 

"Did you—Did you strangle me?" Yeri whispers in disbelief.  

 

"Now why on earth would I do such a horrid thing to my precious fiancé?" Taehyung loudly replies in faux concern, obviously lying in front of everyone on the crowded boat with them, before he looks Yeri dead in the eyes with a look that makes her spine snap straight.

 

Yeri sits stiffly still as Taehyung shrugs off his coat and leans forward to drape it over her shoulders. 

 

"Look at you, your lips are cold," he tuts his tongue as he adjusts the collar around her neck.  "Shivering like a cat in the rain."

 

Yeri shivers.  She doesn't bring up the fact she vividly remembers Taehyung throttling her neck as soon as the doors to the elevator closed on the ship.  

 

Taehyung pulls Yeri by her elbow, making her sit in the small space beside him as he puts on the most inauthentic smile Yeri has ever seen.  "But I  _will_  do whatever I have to if you keep being difficult, Yeri," he harshly whispers in her ear.  

 

Yeri almost gasps at that.  She has no idea who Taehyung is anymore.  The man she once loved is now a maniac of a stranger who she doesn't intend on marrying anymore.  The ring resting on her finger burns at her skin, and she so badly wants to take it off and throw into the dark water below them.  

 

She wants to tell the whole boat, even the whole world about the horrible things Taehyung and his family have done.  But how could she?  The whole situation could grow to extreme proportions and pull her family into the bad blood between the Mins and the Kims.   

 

Yeri looks over her shoulder to see a tanker following behind them as the S.S. Tang slowly sinks below the horizon in the distance.  She hopes her friends made it off the ship safely.  She hopes Jungkook is still alive.   

 

Her compass is eerily still.  

 

Their boat floats closer to the dock now, a mix of Korean and Japanese being yelled over their heads as a Japanese man standing on the pier throws a rope for the cruise ship staff to tie off at the front of the lifeboat.  A few men on the dock begin to pull the lifeboat in and Yeri begins to hope that she can make an escape.  

 

Yeri musters the last bit of courage she has before she turns to Taehyung.  "I hope you aren't expecting me to willingly come along with you when we get off of this boat, Kim Taehyung," she quietly but firmly says.  

 

"When we get off of this boat, you _are_ coming with me whether you are willing to or not.  Do I make myself clear?" Taehyung gravely speaks.  "The same goes for our marriage," he then adds without looking for a response from Yeri.  

 

Yeri remains silent, staring at Taehyung in pure fear.  He has a hold on Yeri's arm that she doubts she can break.  

 

The lifeboat is then pulled against the boardwalk, the hands of the workers on the pier working quickly and with memorized precision as they help people off of the lifeboats.

 

Yeri takes the sturdy and calloused hand offered to her and she feels like she is yet again being pulled out of a dream.  Just a few moments ago, she was on a cruise ship where she unexpectedly met her soulmate and now she's hit with a cold reality that she may have to live with for the rest of her life.

 

The ship's port is busy, heavily overcrowded with guests from the S.S. Tang and Japanese reporters frantically looking for their next headline.  Everyone is talking too loud and the flashes from the cameras are too bright.  Taehyung is quick to hover a careful hand over her face as they try to maneuver through the crowd.

 

It reminds Yeri how enthusiastic the press was when they released the news of their engagement.  Yeri tries to keep at least some distance between herself and Taehyung, but it's difficult with the limited space they have.

 

"Oh my God, Yeri!" her mother suddenly yells.  

 

Yeri looks up to the dock in surprise to see her mother standing there, her veiny hands clutching tightly to her thick fur coat.  She's shocked her mother is even standing out here in this weather.  Yeri expected her mother to be on another ship halfway back to South Korea.  

 

"Mother," Yeri says distantly before her mother is suddenly hugging her.  

 

"I am so glad Taehyung talked some sense into you!" her mother sighs exasperatedly.  She pulls back and rubs her hands down her daughter's clothed arms.  "Christ, what happened to your hair?  Oh, never mind, we can talk about that later—what in the world were you thinking?!  You would have drowned on that ship if you would have followed that poor boy!"  

 

Yeri remains silent, her eyes glossed over and far away.  Maybe she wanted to go down with the ship.  As long as she was with her soulmate, nothing else mattered.  

 

The port roars with distressed chatter and people bumping into each other to figure out what they're going to do next as Taehyung guides Yeri and her mother to a warming station inside one of the warehouses nearby.  

 

Just as they enter the large room, Taehyung's parents come rushing towards them.  His father stands there with reassurance lacing his body language as his mother doesn't waste a second to wrap her arms around her son.  

 

"You had me so worried, Taehyung!" his mother breathes in relief as she squeezes him tight.  "We had no idea where you were!  Don't you ever scare us like that again, boy!"  

 

"Yeri and I got separated in the chaos and I just had to find her," Taehyung gracefully lies as he pointedly looks at Yeri before he gently coaxes his mother's arm from around him after returning the hug.  "The last thing I wanted was for her to be scared and without me.  I'm just glad I found her."

 

Yeri looks to the floor then, her tightly clenched fists hiding under the thick material of Taehyung's jacket.   "I already bought us tickets for the next ship back to Korea.  We should be leaving in two day's time at the least," Taehyung's father informs the group.

 

"I hope we are staying at a nice hotel," Yeri's mother remarks.  "Even better if they have a decent postal service so I can get in contact with my husband."

 

"Oh, of course," Taehyung's mother assures her.  "We heard of a nice hotel not too far from here."

 

Taehyung's father ushers the group out of the building then, guiding them to a street corner before calling a taxi. 

 

Yeri keeps her distance from the group, standing behind everyone as she absently wraps Taehyung's coat firmly around her shoulders.  She feels like she could break down at any moment, but if she does it's sure to cause an unwanted scene.  She can feel Taehyung's eyes on her.

 

"Taehyung, Yeri," Taehyung's father speaks up.  "You two get in this cab, and your mothers and I will grab the next one, hm?"

 

Taehyung wraps his arm around Yeri and opens the door to the car for her to enter. She ducks her head and scoots across the backseat until she finds herself against the window, trying to sit as far away from Taehyung as she can. 

 

Taehyung slips the taxi driver a few bills and runs the address to the hotel by the driver before he settles back.  "The sea water has gotten you all dirty," he tuts his tongue as he reaches over to brush a few stay hairs away from Yeri's face. 

 

Yeri tries her best not to visibly flinch at the contact, the last thing she wants to do is make Taehyung mad.  "I will shower when we get to the hotel," she quietly replies.

 

Taehyung nods and absently hums, letting her know that he heard her as he places a possessive hand on her thigh.

 

"Get your hand off of me, Taehyung," Yeri spits as she throws his hand away.  "I don not want you touching me."

 

The taxi driver throws a worried glance at them in the rear view mirror before focuses back on the road.  At least, for now, Yeri doesn’t have to worry about Taehyung strangling her with someone else present. 

 

Taehyung sits back in his seat and adjusts his coat then, clearing his throat and clenching his jaw. 

 

The rest of their ride is silent. 

 

Yeri takes the silence as an opportunity to take in the city of Nagasaki.  It may be 1928 now, but Japan appears to be ahead of its time. This city has taller and more futuristic-looking buildings compared to ones in Seoul.  They pass by a small lamb skewer shop a few minutes later and Yeri instantly thinks of Jungkook.  His smile was so bright when Yeri was asking about his favorite foods.

 

She knows he's still alive.  She can _feel_ it in her soul.

 

The taxi eventually pulls up to an expensive-looking hotel and the looming lights along the building light Yeri's face before she pushes the door open, ignoring Taehyung's calls for her to wait for him. Yeri hears her mother call to her from her left and she finds her and Taehyung's parents pulling themselves out of a cab a little ways down the sidewalk.

 

"What a nice place!" Yeri's mother comments as she takes in the tall building as Taehyung's parents enter ahead of them. "Such an upgrade compared to the cruise ship.  Kim Namjoon could have done a better job building that ship," she mutters as she tightens her fur coat around her body.  "I knew we should have taken another cruise."

 

"Mother," Yeri chastises as she follows her mother into the lobby of the hotel.  "We could have hit something in the water.  Don't blame the sinking of a ship on an innocent man."

 

Before her mother can reply, Taehyung's father strides towards them with three keys for their hotel rooms.  "This one is for me and my wife," he says as he slips a key into his coat pocket.  "This one is for Mrs. Kim, and this one is for Taehyung and Yeri," he says as he hands them the keys.

 

Yeri's shoulders drop at that.  As much as she is upset with her mother, she was hoping to spend the night with her mother rather than Taehyung.

 

"Don't worry, Mrs. Kim," Taehyung charmingly smiles at her mother.  "I will be sure to call a nurse to our room to check over Yeri's wound.  I think the last place she wants to be is in a hospital room right now," he says as he slips an arm around Yeri, careful of her injured shoulder. 

 

Both of their parents smile brightly at Taehyung's caring ways and Yeri wants to scream.

 

"Let's go, Yeri," he says as he ushers her down a hallway.

 

Yeri breathes out in relief when they pass by an elevator.  She doesn't know if she's scared that it'll fill with ice-cold water or whether Taehyung will choke her again.

 

Taehyung leaves her side to unlock the door and he guides her in with a hand on her lower back.  "I'll go and get that nurse," he says as he turns to exit the room.

 

Yeri makes her way into the bathroom after that.  Their fancy hotel room looks the same as the others, there's no need to be charmed by the dramatic interior.  She closes the door behind her and she locks it.  She walks over to the marble sink and she rests both of her hands on either side of the faucet.

 

Yeri looks at herself in the mirror.  She looks like a completely different than the girl that stepped onto the S.S. Tang a few days ago.  Her makeup is smeared, her hair unevenly cut, and her face holds dark shadows.  Yeri fingers the hem of the cloth towel wrapped over her shoulder, the wound faintly throbs as it gains memory in Yeri's mind.

 

She undoes the scarf around her neck and she winces at the faint bruises that resemble the shape of Taehyung's fingers.  A dam breaks and Yeri finally lets herself cry.  Taehyung is a walking nightmare and she has no idea where Jungkook is. 

 

She cups her mouth to hide her whimpers.  She tries to compose herself the best she can before she carefully unties the towel wrapped around her shoulder.

 

Yeri throws the bloody towel into a hamper next to the bathtub before she closes the lid to the toilet and sits on it.  She hears Taehyung's voice entering their hotel room and she quickly wipes at her tears, attempting to hide the evidence that she had been crying.

 

"Yeri," Taehyung softly knocks on the bathroom door.  "A nurse is here to see you."

 

Yeri almost whines at the way Taehyung's voice sounds.  Warm and soft like it was before the ship sunk.

 

Yeri opens the door to a hesitant Taehyung and a timid nurse holding a medical kit.

 

"I'll be in the other room," Taehyung says before disappears into their hotel room's study and shuts the door with a soft thud.

 

"We can sit on the bed, if that is alright with you," the nurse politely suggests in Korean, gesturing over her shoulder.

 

Yeri silently slips by the nurse and sits down on the bed.  She takes off her gloves and lies them next to her before she turns back to the nurse, watching her place her kit on the nightstand to open it.

 

"Mr. Kim told me you were on the ship that sunk," she turns to Yeri and pauses, glancing at Yeri's bruised neck and back to her eyes before she continues, "You must have been so scared, I cannot even imagine.  I'm glad you all made it out alright.  Mr. Kim said your injury is just below your collarbone.  Do you mind if we partially take off your dress so I can examine it properly?"

 

"You speak Korean," Yeri says as she shifts around to let the nurse unzip her dress, changing the subject from anything but Taehyung.

 

"Yes," the nurse softly grins.  "Born and raised in Seoul," she says as she helps Yeri slip her arms out the sleeves.  "I moved here for college and was lucky enough to have met my soulmate right after I graduated."

 

Yeri sadly smiles, "I am glad you found them."  She turns back around and lets the top half of the dress pool at her waist. 

 

The nurse stands and walks over to a small table holding a continent of liquor.  "You might want to take a few sips of this," she offers after she pours Yeri a small glass.

 

Yeri downs the brown liquid in a matter of seconds, letting the warmth of the beverage take away her nerves.

 

The nurse carefully examines the wound before she turns back to her medical kit to pull out a few supplies.  Yeri tries her best not to flinch too violently at the nurse's administrations as she begins to clean and stitch Yeri's wound.

 

"What is your name?" Yeri says after a bit of conversation between the two.

 

The nurse sews in the last stitch through Yeri's skin before she answers, "Eunha."  She secures the last stitch and cuts the thread.  "And you?"

 

"Yeri."

 

"Nice to meet you, Yeri," Eunha says as she packs her supplies back into her kit.  She stands and politely bows before she starts to walk away.

 

 _Please don't go, don't leave me alone with him_ , Yeri begs in her mind.

 

Eunha opens the door and walks out before she peeks her head back through.  "Let me know," she looks between Yeri and the door to study where Taehyung is, "If you need anything.  I'm not hard to find, I'm just down the hall."  And then the nurse is gone.

 

The room is silent for a few seconds before the sound of the door to the study opening breaks it.  Yeri looks over her shoulder to see Taehyung staring at her.  His eyes holding an emotion Yeri can't read.

 

"Are you alright?" his deep voice rings in her ears.

 

" _Am I alright_?" she rolls her eyes in annoyance, letting the liquor take over.  She pulls her arms back through her sleeves and adjusts her dress.  "Now you care?"

 

 _You didn't seem to care when you had a knife to my throat_ , she wants to say.

 

"Of course I care," he says evenly.  "You would have died on that ship if I had not have done what I had to save you."

 

Yeri snaps at that. "Of course I would not have made it off of the ship if you hadn't shot my soulmate and told Yoongi the truth behind his family's death—and you knew for all these years and you did nothing!" she seethes.

 

Taehyung clenches his jaw and stuffs his hands in his pockets.  Yeri can feel his eyes staring daggers into the back of her head.

 

"Bad publicity isn't good for my family's business."

 

Yeri fully turns to Taehyung then.  "And what makes you think I won't tell?" she challenges.

 

"You will _not_ tell if you know what is best for your family," he silences her.  "You won't be able to stay in these lavish hotels and buy those pretty dresses of yours if no one is shipping their products through your parent's company."

 

Yeri remains quiet.  The shipping company is her family's livelihood.  Her family is just as tied to Taehyung's family as Yoongi's is.  She realizes if she lets word get out about this whole situation, all of their family's businesses could be affected.

 

Taehyung moves to sit in a chair across the room from Yeri.  He deeply sighs as he rests his elbows on his knees.  "I…  I didn't mean to put my hands on you like that, Yeri.  I promise I won't ever hurt you like that again.  You know I love you, right?  You know I'd do anything that is best for you, don't you?"

 

"I don't love you anymore, Taehyung," Yeri tells him instead. "That is the only thing I know right now," she quietly says.

 

A flash of hurt flashes over Taehyung's face before he turns stoic.  "You'll love me again soon enough.  He reaches into his pants pocket and fishes out his pocket watch and reads the time.  "You should go shower and then come back to bed, it is almost dusk."

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Lemme know what you think, I am very appreciative of feedback.
> 
> See you in the next one~


	8. You're My Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hanahaki disease, where an individual coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided or rejected love. Hanahaki disease, where the most beautiful flowers are birthed into the world, but are meant to take the very essence of life away. It is almost like a reverse of acid reflux, if you will. Flower petals scratching their way through your internal organs, making your blood run backward until…"
> 
> "Until you die."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After 10 years of not updating this fic, FINALLY !!
> 
> We are coming up on the final few chapters of this story. From the previous chapter until the end of this fic will be chapters dedicated to each pairing in this story, but from one perspective. This may be a very bumpy ride, but please enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> **Trigger warning: mentions of suicide**

 

 

 

 

 

**SOLBIN & NAMJOON**

 

The tanker they're in is audibly quiet. 

 

Everyone is too stunned about the being on a sinking ship to talk unless they whisper.  The small ship slightly rocks back and forth as it pushes through the wintry surface of the ocean.   

 

They were lucky a tanker was only a few miles away when the captain sent an S.O.S out into the dark night.

 

Solbin is lucky Hoseok opened the door when he did.  She's lucky she made it off the S.S. Tang in one piece.

 

Solbin sits next to Namjoon on a metal bench.  The coolness of the sturdy seat leaking through her thin dress.  Her hair is still slightly wet as it clings to the back her neck.  She scoots even more impossibly closer to her soulmate and Namjoon tightens his hold on her.

 

Namjoon adjusts the small but thick blanket wrapped around her shoulders.  "I wish my clothes were wet instead of yours," he sighs.  He runs a frustrated hand over his chin and huffs,  "If Hoseok had not have opened that door in time...  I don't know what I would have done if you—"

 

Solbin shushes him by placing her hand over his and links their fingers together.  She tucks her head into the crook of Namjoon's warm neck as he rests his cheek on her dampened hair.  Her compass happily humming at their intimate contact.

 

"I'm here now, Namjoon. I'm not going anywhere."

 

Namjoon seems to relax at his soulmate's words, the muscles in his shoulders starting to slacken and ease.

 

Solbin's eyes flicker down to their linked hands.  She softly runs her thumb over the back of Namjoon's hand.  She can't help it, but song lyrics race around her head as Namjoon begins to trace his thumb just above her wrist, the movement slow and full of care, her purple-tipped fingers over his red ones.

 

Her heart starts to race a little bit.

 

_Is this what it feels like, loving someone?  But the words "I love you" will never reach[you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVtTdZt-HtI)._

 

She's still afraid of love, but the slight buzz of her compass convinces her to keep acting like everything is okay.

 

"You are doing a good job, Jimin," Sowon speaks as she kneels next to the cellist.  "Keep that same pressure on his lower abdomen, we should be docking soon."

 

Solbin's eyes flicker over to Jungkook's body lying on the floor across from them. 

 

His skin is deathly pale and his trembling lips are a transparent blue.  His head falls from side to side as he subconsciously murmurs under his breath.  Jungkook's button up is ripped open, but the wet parts of his blood-stained shirt cling to his skin.  Solbin guesses Jungkook has developed a fever due to the slick hair clinging to his temples.

 

Jimin's face is firm, his jaw visibly clenched tight as he keeps his hands pressed down on a towel over Jungkook's wound.  The thick blanket a nurse draped around his shoulders is long forgotten on the floor, Jimin being too immersed in keeping Jungkook alive.

 

Solbin knows he's tired.  They all are. 

 

Solbin looks to the woman sitting next to Jimin, one of the female Japanese employees working on the tanker, who's dabbing Jungkook's sweaty forehead with a towel every few seconds as she keeps her other hand on Jimin's back.

 

Solbin didn't miss the interaction between them when Jimin stumbled onto the tanker.  She definitely didn't miss the way a compass suddenly appeared in between their linked hands.  Solbin and Jimin should be celebrating the fact that they have finally found their soulmates, but they are currently in this mess and Jimin hasn't left Jungkook's side since they got on the tanker.

 

"He will be okay, Solbin," Namjoon softly kisses the crown of her head as rubs his hands up and down her covered arms, feeling Solbin's sudden tenseness.  "Let us stay positive, hm?  We will get him to the closest hospital as soon as we dock."

 

_I hope so._

 

Solbin remains at Namjoon's side with her eyebrows pinched together.  Solbin thinks it's silly, worrying about a man she thought she loved while being held by a man that actually does love her, or so her compass tells her.

 

Her eyes gaze over to the ship's captain holding his son in his lap, and Hoseok, whose face is holding a stoic but gloomy expression, sits next to them. 

 

Yoongi and Jisoo sit just a few seats away from them, holding each other like they could lose one another at any second.  Solbin feels sorry for Jisoo, losing a brother Solbin also knew, and for Yoongi, losing his parents in a tragic accident. 

 

She doesn’t know much about Taehyung or Yeri.  The couple seems strange to her.  She's seen them on the two nights they've spent on the boat.  They seemed like they were in love.

 

Solbin will never forget the image of Yoongi pointing a gun at Taehyung while said man held a knife to Yeri's throat. She wishes she could have done something to deescalate the situation, but what's done is done.

 

As soon as the small boat docks on the coast of Japan, the workers aboard the tanker work fast to anchor the ship to the pier.  Sowon is the first to stand, telling everyone that Jungkook has first priority privileges as he is deathly injured.  The nurses carefully lift him onto a gurney and swiftly carry him through the exit of the tanker with Jimin still in tow.

 

Jimin's soulmate looks reluctant of him leaving, but she still has a job to do.  She turns away then, guiding the crowd with polite hand gestures and short, broken Korean phrases.

 

After that, the crowd begins to stand to make their way out of the boat.  Solbin lets the blanket wrapped around her slip onto the seat below her and Namjoon keeps a comforting arm around her as the rest of the sunken ship's guests follow closely behind.

 

What Solbin was not expecting was the sudden bursts of white and yelling once they set foot on the dock.

 

" _Kim Seokjin!  Over here!_ "

 

" _Kim Seokjin!  How do you feel about the sinking of the S.S. Tang!_ "

 

"Mr. Kim," a reporter is shoved into Namjoon's side then.  "We hear that there were multiple deaths since the ship sank.  Do you have any comments about that!"

 

Namjoon shrugs off his coat and drapes it over Solbin's shoulder before he tucks her into his chest and he pushes through the crowd of greedy reporters and journalists.

 

The atmosphere is haywire.  Solbin doesn't know what to think.

 

 _Namjoon just built the boat_ , she wants to shout, _he didn't mean for this to happen_.

 

The air is as crisp as the sound light bulbs shattering.  Solbin shivers at the condensation puffing out of the reporters' mouths as they yell over one another.  Solbin dares to peek up at Namjoon, finding his eyes are already on hers.  She opens her mouth to say something, _anything_ , before she's interrupted.

 

" _Namjoon!_ "

 

The soulmates snap their heads up to find Jin and his son sitting in a car with its door hanging open.

 

"Take the next cab behind this one!" he yells over the chaos, his red nose scrunching as he pulls the door closed.

 

Solbin stands on her tip toes and looks over the crowd, trying to figure out where Sowon and Jimin went off to with Jungkook.  She spots an ambulance near the end of the road, catching Jimin and Sowon disappearing into the vehicle.  She tries to make her way to it before Namjoon pulls her back.

 

"Don't worry, I'll tell the driver to follow the ambulance."  Namjoon wraps a warm hand around her wrist and guides her to the car Jin was talking about earlier.  "You won't be separated from your friends for long, Solbin."

 

The ride to the hospital is quiet.

 

Solbin's hands rest in her lap.  She looks down at her nails.  They're bitten down to the quick.  She rubs her thumb over the tender flesh peeking out from under her uneven nails, not knowing when she even bit them.

 

Before she knows it, Namjoon is opening the door for her.  She lets herself be lead into the hospital, down a few corridors, and into a quiet waiting room where they find Jimin sitting in a chair with his head in his hands.

 

"Jimin," Solbin softly calls for him. 

 

Jimin's head shoots up instantly.  He stands from his chair and jogs to Solbin, gathering her in his arms with a tight hug.  Solbin wraps her arms Jimin's back, the squeeze she gives him silently tells Jimin that she's thankful he's alive after what happened on the ship.

 

"T-They wouldn't let me stay with him," Jimin says after he sits back down, the dark purple circles under his eyes showing how tired he is.  He runs his fingers over the vibrating bulge in his pants pocket where his compass should be.  "Sowon is with him.  He should be in surgery by now.  God," Jimin sneezes and wipes at the mucus leaking from his nose away with a bloody sleeve.  "How could something like this happen?  I should have gone with him when he went to his room.  I should have—"

 

"This not your fault, Jimin," Solbin interjects.  "No one knew this would happen."

 

"Namjoon," Jin comes in then, briskly walking until he's by the naval architect's side.  His hair looks tussled and wind-blown.  "How is the boy?  Is Sowon with him?"

 

"He's in surgery," Namjoon informs him with a slight nod.  "Sowon is—"

 

A door suddenly opens to their right, revealing a weary Sowon.  "I'm here," she sighs as she walks to the group, tucking a few strands of long hair behind her ears.  "Jungkook…  I honestly don't know how this will go.  He lost a lot of blood.  Let us just hope and pray that he will live through the surgery."

 

Solbin's vision goes blurry.  She hurriedly wipes at her eyes.  She can feel her makeup smudging.  She must look a mess.  She definitely feels like one.

 

Jin clears his throat.  "We have a beach house not too far from here.  I just came from there after putting our son into bed.  All of you are welcome to stay."  Jin turns to the cellist sitting down in front of him, "Jimin, is it?  Hoseok is currently there resting if you would like to join him."

 

Solbin doesn't miss the surprised look on Sowon's face.

 

Jimin shakily nods and stands, his eyes not meeting the captain, but fervently agreeing to the offer.  "Yes, I would like that."

 

Before Solbin can ask who is going to stay to wait for Jungkook, Sowon answers, "I gave the receptionist our address to let us know when Jungkook makes it out of his surgery.  The doctors say it will be tedious surgery, so may be for the best if we all rest for a while and return once we receive any information."

 

"What about you two?" Jin gestures to Namjoon and Solbin.

 

Namjoon clenches his jaw and takes Solbin's hand in his.  "Solbin and I will stay at my father's house for the time being," he tells the captain.

 

Jin's weary eyes look between the soulmates, his face holding an expression that Solbin can't quite read.  "Very well," he eventually sighs out before he looks back to Namjoon.  "And don't worry about the press, Namjoon.  Don't feel like you have to answer to any reporters.  I'll take care of it.  All of it."

 

Sowon, Jin, and Jimin make their way out of the hospital.  Sowon wraps an arm around Jimin's shivering body as they walk through the doors.

 

"Solbin," Namjoon quietly speaks up.  Solbin turns to Namjoon as he looks around the almost-empty room and then back to her, his facial features bordering on a nervous emotion.  He squeezes her hand and gently pulls her in the direction of the elevator.  "I have some...important business to take of in this hospital."

 

As soon as they ride the elevator up to another floor, they enter another waiting room, this one even quieter than the first.  One female receptionist sits at a long desk, her eyes drooping from working long hours.

 

The clock on the wall reads 1:30 AM.  A few lights flicker overhead and Solbin feels something pulling at her from within. 

 

It isn't a good feeling.

 

Namjoon lets go of Solbin's hand in favor of walking up to the desk, but Solbin stays closes behind, curiously eyeing the receptionist over her soulmate's shoulder.  The woman perks up and Namjoon's presence, looking at him as if she knows him before she smiles and bows.

 

Namjoon leans on the desk and begins to speak to the woman in fluent Japanese.  Solbin's eyes widen at that.  Namjoon speaks as if he's native.

 

Namjoon smiles back at the woman, slightly bowing his head and thanking the woman before he turns to walk down the hallway.

 

"Namjoon," a confused Solbin whispers after him, picking up her pace as she catches up to her with furrowed eyebrows.  "Where are you going?"

 

Namjoon takes a few strides before he answers.  He keeps head low as he walks.  "I just need to check on something."

 

Namjoon's vagueness is going to Solbin drive up the wall at this point.

 

They walk down a long hallway.  The tight spaces where the pale ceramic floors meet the white walls is turning a moldy brown from time.  Numerous plants hang overhead on every corner they pass.  Some are overgrown and some are in desperate need of watering, it must the hospitals aesthetic.

 

Some of the doors lining the hallway are shut closed, but the ones that are open reveal elderly patients resting in their beds.

 

Solbin huddles closer to Namjoon's side as they walk.

 

They eventually stop in front of a burgundy door with he words _Kim Seojoon_ engraved on a small plaque mounted at the top of the door.  Before Solbin can even ask a question, Namjoon's hand hesitantly curl around the silver handle.  He twists it to the right and carefully pushes the door open as he peeks his inside.

 

"Hello?" an old, deep voice timidly asks in the darkness.

 

Namjoon pushes the door all the way open at the sound of the man's voice, the fluorescent light from the hallway slowly engulfing the room at the door's wake.  He holds the door open for Solbin, silently asking her to come in before she enters the room and Namjoon quietly closes the door behind them.

 

Solbin quickly finds that the _something_ Namjoon is checking on is _someone_.

 

Solbin grips the collar of Namjoon's coat that's wrapped around her as Namjoon moves behind her to turn on a lamp, it's warm light partially filling the room.

 

There's man on a bed at the center of the room, sitting on the edge of it with his back facing them.  The large window in front of him is letting in the moon influence, making his silhouette dark in contrast to the rest of the room.

 

"Do I have a visitor?" the man asks, his voice as distant as his presence.  He suddenly turns to them then.  His face partially still in the dark and his eyes red from lack of sleep.  His graying hair is brushed back behind his ears.  "Hm.  What time is it?  The sun is not out yet."

 

"It is…  Let us just say it is very late into the night," Namjoon sighs to the elderly man.  He motions for Solbin to sit at a chair near the door before he pulls up his own chair on the other side of the bed to face the man.

 

_What is going on?_

 

The man looks at Namjoon for a few seconds before he clears his throat and rests his hands on his thighs as leans closer to Namjoon's face.  "I do not know you.  Who are you supposed to be?"

 

Namjoon's eyes flicker to Solbin's before they return to the man in front of him.  "I am nothing but a hospital volunteer, Seojoon," he answers with a tight grin.  "Have you forgotten me already?  I was here just last month."

 

Seojoon rubs at his chin in deep thought.  "You seem a bit familiar."

 

Namjoon seems to perk up a little at that.

 

"You—no, I don't think I have seen you before."

 

Namjoon clasps his hand over the older man's and gives him a gentle squeeze.  "It is alright, Seojoon."

 

Solbin pinches her eyebrows at their joined hands.  Her compass hums sadly.

 

"Seojoon, I am actually here to ask you a few questions.  Is that alright with you?"

 

Seojoon silently nods his head.

 

Namjoon takes his hand away and sits against the back of his chair.  "Can you tell me what you know about soulmates?"

 

"Oh, I know a lot about soulmates, a very mysterious thing I must say," Seojoon says, almost as if he's talking to himself.

 

Solbin crosses her legs and balls her hands into fists, gripping the material of Namjoon's coat tightly.

 

That feeling you get when you just _know_ something is wrong sits at the pit of her stomach.  She feels nervous, but she doesn't know why.

 

Seojoon looks to the moon and sighs.  He licks his chapped lips and absently rubs his hands together.  "Hanahaki disease is a dangerous illness.  Make sure you never catch it," he mentions the disease like it's the common cold.

 

Solbin has heard of the disease, she always thought it was a myth.  She still believes people can choose who they want to love solely because she's never seen anyone cough up flowers.  It's silly, if you ask her.

 

"Very deadly," Seojoon continues.  "Symptoms of coughing...  Itchiness in the chest from couging up flower petals.  Mild fever, temporary dizziness, internal bleeding…  This all happens when a soulmate's love is one-sided."

 

Solbin lowers her head before she chances a glance at Namjoon.  She doesn't want to see the look on his face.  In reality, Solbin has killed her soulmate twice.  The first when Namjoon wanted to commit suicide when Solbin wouldn't return his love, and the second when his one-sided love resulted in him coughing up blood-ridden flower petals.

 

_God, he deserves so much more than me._

 

"It is somewhat whimsical if you sit back and truly think about it," Seojoon gloomily smiles to himself, the moon's reflection sitting in his aged eyes.  "Hanahaki disease, where an individual coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided or rejected love. Hanahaki disease," the elder repeats again.  "Where the most beautiful flowers are birthed into the world, but are meant to take the very essence of life away.  It is almost like a reverse of acid reflux, if you will.  Flower petals scratching their way through your internal organs, making your blood run backward until…"

 

"Until you die," Namjoon finishes for him, his voice low.

 

Seojoon lifts a finger in the air like he's just had an epiphany.  "Ah, but, there is a way to stop the process of death!  Well, a mere human cannot do it, but the one thing linking the two destined lovers together can."

 

Solbin's compass suddenly appears in her hand, as if on cue.

 

"The compass."

 

"The compass?" Namjoon dark eyebrows furrow.  "What do you mean?"

 

Seojoon suddenly laughs, clapping his hands together like someone just told the funniest joke in the world.  "The compass may _intercede_."

 

He suddenly stands and waddles over to a box of journals stashed away under his desk in the dark part of the room.  He slowly bends down, placing one hand on his knee as he reaches for one of the many journals lying on top of one another with the other hand.  Seojoon picks one up and flips through its pages until he finds what he's looking for. 

 

"Here."  He returns to Namjoon's side and hands the opened journal to him, using his thumb as a bookmark so Namjoon doesn't have to find the page again.

 

Solbin leans forward in her chair on the other side of the room, curiosity getting the best of her.

 

Namjoon replaces Seojoon's thumb with his own and takes the tattered journal into his hands before he begins to study its contents.  He follows Seojoon's index finger halfway down the page until his eyes scan the words.

 

The air in the room is suddenly sucked into a vacuum as Solbin waits. 

 

Waiting for _anything_ , but she doesn't know what.

 

Namjoon suddenly snaps his head from the journal to Solbin as Seojoon returns to his bed.  Solbin and Namjoon lock eyes.  He looks furious, apologetic, and disappointed all the same time.

 

"Are our compasses an angel in disguise or a devil in disguise?" Seojoon sighs as he lies down in his bed, adjusting the covers over his body.  "A question that will never be correctly answered."

 

Solbin finally gets a look at the man's face as he fully turns his face to look at her, his facial features holding the same as Namjoon's.

 

Solbin heavily swallows.  The sound of saliva traveling down her esophagus filling her ears due to the overbearing weight of silence in the room.

 

_Is...that his father?_

 

"Thank you for answering my questions, Seojoon." Namjoon's strained voice rings through the room.  "I will visit you soon."

 

Solbin can tell that whatever he has read seems to have made him agitated.

 

Namjoon promptly stands, exiting the room with long and quick strides after he drops the opened journal into Solbin's lap.

 

She reads the words as clear as day.

 

_An individual's compass may intervene on the behalf of a suffering soulmate, influencing the individual to gain sudden feelings in order to save both the individual and their soulmate._

 

 

 

 

 

The walk back down the hospital's hallway is silent.

 

The ride down the elevator is silent.

 

The ride to Namjoon's father's home is silent.

 

The long-awaited shower Solbin takes is silent.

 

The air between them as they sit on the couch is silent.

 

Namjoon suddenly stands, making his way to the kitchen, and Solbin finally breaks.

 

"Namjoon," Solbin calls after him.  "Please—"

 

"If what he said was true," Namjoon interrupts her with his taut back facing her, his voice laced something dark, "Then you never loved me in the first place."

 

Solbin moves to sit on her knees then, desperately leaning over the couch's armrest.

 

What can she say?  How can she explain herself?

 

Her compass buzzes in the breast pocket of the large button up Namjoon has let her borrow.  She clutches it and breathes in.  "I…  I am sorry.  I am so scared, Namjoon," her voice wavers as tears fill her eyes.  "I thought I could finally let go of this feeling being afraid of my compass, being afraid of love—, God, _of you_ —like I am never enough," she begins to cry.  "And that night you came to me—you came at a time where I was at my lowest, but when you told me you are my soulmate, it sparked something in me and I wanted to finally try because you were so willing to, even when I was rejecting you.  Can you please come back over here?  I will fall apart if you walk any further, please," she pleads with an outstretched hand.

 

Namjoon turns around then.  He slowly makes his way back to the couch and sits down next to Solbin, turning his body towards her as he puts one of his legs on the couch and lets that bent leg touch Solbin's knees.

 

Solbin takes his hand and lies their linked fingers in her lap.  Solbin sniffs as she keeps her eyes locked on their hands.  She can breathe a little easier now that her soulmate is so close to here and her compass hums in agreement.

 

"No, I didn’t love you at first, Namjoon, but things have changed in regards to how I feel for you, for us.  I don’t want to say that my compass is making me feel this way, but what I feel for you is so exciting and terrifying all at the same time.  And now that we finally have each other, I can't give this up so easily.  I-If you leave because of the words on that paper, I don't know what I will do.  I don't know what I will do _without_ you," she stresses.

 

Namjoon falters at that, no longer looking upset, but now seeming as if he understands.  He places his other hand over Solbin's.  "I am not going anywhere.  I don't want to give up on us either."

 

"But I'm still so scared.  Just take this feeling away, Namjoon—just take it away, please," Solbin begins to fully cry, pleading for something she can't find tangible just yet.  "I am so tired of feeling this way—I want to love you, I-I really do," Solbin rambles as Namjoon suddenly holds her face in his gentle hands.

 

She feels his thumbs caress the tender skin below her temples, but it's not _enough_.  Nothing ever feels like enough and it's starting to eat her alive.

 

Solbin feels like she's back on the ship.  Her ears are ringing as she thinks back to Jimin ramming his shoulder into that door that just wouldn't open and her feet are numb from the coldness of the water.

 

Her chest fills like it's getting slowly stuffed with cotton.  She can't breathe.  "I can't—"

 

Namjoon's lips suddenly brush against hers and Solbin doesn't feel like everything is closing in on her anymore.

 

The icy water around her feet boils away into vapor, her lungs fill with fresh air, and her eardrums no longer beat along with her racing heart.

 

She's heard stories of soulmates sharing their first kiss, but she never thought it would be like _this_. 

 

Thunder roars in her chest and Namjoon's presence is her only calm after the storm.

 

Namjoon lightly bumps his nose against hers as he adjusts his hesitant hands over both sides of her neck.  Both of his thumbs brush over her tear-stained cheeks before he presses his full lips to Solbin's in the softest way.  Solbin's hands creep to Namjoon's legs, gripping the soft fabric of his pajama pants like she could run from him at any second.

 

The kiss is as innocent as a glance across the room, quick and almost unnoticeable if you aren't looking.  But Solbin's heart flutters against her chest when Namjoon slightly pulls back and angles his head to kiss Solbin again.  She can't get over the feeling and her compass vibrates as she finally reciprocates Namjoon's actions and presses her lips against his.

 

Namjoon pulls his lips away again and he breaks down Solbin's barriers, kissing her wherever he can—the apples of her cheeks, the tip of her nose, the space between her pinched eyebrows and back down to her chin before he returns to her lips.  Solbin gets the courage to let her hands slip up the length of Namjoon's forearm before they curl around his wrists.

 

Solbin soon finds her thighs straddling Namjoon's, the fabric of the borrowed pair of boxers she's wearing bunching high above her knees, as he brushes his nose along the line of her jaw.

 

"Tell me," Namjoon murmurs as he trails his lips right below Solbin's earlobe.  "Tell me you want me—not your compass, just you.  Please, Solbin."  He smooths her hair behind her shoulder and slowly begins to kiss down the column of her neck, leaving goosebumps in his lips' wake.

 

"What I feel for you is real, Namjoon."  Solbin's breath hitches as Namjoon's hands caress down her sides and slightly grip at her hips.  Her hands find purchase at the nape of Namjoon's neck, slipping into this hair as she tilts her head.  "I told I wanted to try—back on the ship, that was me telling you that, not my compass."

 

Solbin leans in to kiss Namjoon this time, deepening the kiss and making a soft noise at the back of her throat when Namjoon licks at her lower lip.

 

Solbin quickly finds that Namjoon's lips are addictive and she almost wants to get mad at how soft Namjoon is being. 

 

That fades away when Namjoon begins to unbutton her shirt, kissing the newly revealed skin with every button he pops open.  The shirt slips off of Solbin's shoulders and Namjoon's lips gravitate to Solbin's bare breasts as runs his fingers up her back all the while Solbin moans Namjoon's name and she arches into him.

 

She soon starts to pull at the hem of his pants just as Namjoon begins to kiss the juncture between her jaw and her neck, growing impatient before Namjoon stops her with gentle hands.

 

"We don't have to do this right now, not tonight.  Let us take our time." Namjoon whispers. 

 

His eyes hold so much emotion, like he's trying to convey everything he wants to do with Solbin at the right time.

 

Solbin leans forward and softly bumps her nose to Namjoon's, slowly tracing the faint domes of his nose with the tip of hers.  She wants to stay like this, wrapped up in her soulmate and as vulnerable as she can be, because—

 

"We have time," they say aloud at the same time.

 

Solbin feels Namjoon's compass gently hum in his pants pocket and she thinks about all the inner turmoil her compass has brought her. 

 

Solbin has always wondered if everyone really finds their soulmate.  But now, she no longer has to wonder since she truly found hers.

 

 

 _”Your compass will always return to you when you feel like you've lost it…  It will always be with you as long as you are thinking about it."_  

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song(s) in this chapter:
> 
> 1) Blue - Taeyeon
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Lemme know what you think, I am very appreciative of feedback.
> 
> See you in the next chapter ~


	9. Last time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Have a good life... I mean it when I say that... And I'm sorry for all of this."

 

 

 

 

 

**SOWON & JIN **

 

Jin closes the door to the passenger side of his car and Sowon is finally able to relax. 

 

She sits back in her seat, letting her tense muscles loosen and laying her head against the headrest as she closes her heavy eyes.  The only sounds she registers is Jimin settling into the back seat and her husband's hurried footsteps as he rounds the vehicle.

 

Sowon sighs and looks down at her hands.  She still has a bit of dried blood on her wrists.  She traces the stains over her fair skin as she hears Jin close the door to his side of the car.  She hopes Jungkook makes through the surgery. 

 

_The boy lost so much blood…  What happened to him?_

 

"You two must be exhausted."  Jin looks between his wife and Jimin with a sad smile.  He buckles his seat belt, starts the car, and sits back to rest his hand on the back of Sowon's seat before he casts his sights Jimin.  "Jimin, there are only three rooms at our house.  One is mine and my wife's while the two other rooms are being occupied by our son and Hoseok."

 

Sowon internally blanches at the sound of Hoseok's name.  The pit of her stomach fills with a quick flash of nervous butterflies.  She forgot all about Hoseok staying in their house.

 

"You may either share the room with Hoseok—the bed is big enough for two people—or you may decide to sleep on the couch if you would like," Jin continues as he turns around in his seat and begins to dive. "I doubt the couch is comfortable enough for a restful night of sleep, but whatever you prefer…"

 

Jimin quietly sniffs in his seat.  "I-I'll stay with Hoseok.  I…  I just don't want to be by myself right now."

 

Jin empathetically looks at him through the rearview mirror.  "Of course, Jimin.  That is completely understandable."  One of his hands finds Sowon's and his gentle fingers softly wrap around her wrist, giving it a small squeeze as he keeps his eyes between Jimin and the road.  "We all have had a rough night.  I am so sorry you had to experience this."

 

Jimin remains quiet in the back of the car and Sowon takes that as her cue to ask what she has been wondering this whole time.

 

Sowon turns in her seat and their eyes meet.  "Jimin, if you don't mind me asking, how exactly did Jungkook get hurt?" 

 

Jimin's visibly tired.  His pink eyes are unwavering on her.  Whatever anger he lost a few minutes ago is now returning.  "Someone shot him."

 

Sowon's eyes widen at that.

 

"Jesus," Jin disappointingly sighs.

 

"This all so…" Jimin pauses to runs frustrated hand through his hair and he shakes his head.  "Jungkook was tied up when we found him.  Some guy named Taehyung shot him before Yoongi could stop him."

 

"Do you know as to why this Taehyung shot Jungkook?" Jin asks with pinched eyebrows.  His hands are tight on the steering wheel. 

 

Jimin shakes his head again.  "I don't know.  He said something Jungkook being bad for business, whatever _that_ means.  And then he held a knife to one of the women with us and walked out with her...  Her name was Yeri."

 

Jin and Sowon instantly look to one another with incredulous looks on their faces.

 

_Taehyung and Yeri?  As in Kim Taehyung and Kim Yeri?  The engaged heirs of two of the biggest companies in Korea?_

 

Jin and Sowon have heard such good things about both of the Kim families as they were preparing their accommodations on the ship. But now violence has been involved?

 

Sowon covers her mouth with one of her hands and lets out a shocked gasp.  "Do you think—"

 

Jin turns his eyes back to the road and he shakes his head, ending a conversation he doesn't want to have in front of the younger boy in the backseat.

 

Sowon wracks her brain for every moment she's seen Kim Taehyung and Kim Yeri on the ship.  The first night she saw the couple on the boat they seemed to be in love like the pictures in the newspaper portray.  The second night she saw the couple on the boat they were dancing together in the ballroom.  She noticed how tightly clenched Yeri's jaw was and how serious Taehyung's eyes looked as they harshly whispered at one another on the dance floor.

 

Sowon recalls Yeri rushing through the ballroom that night before the incident with tear-filled eyes and a red cheek.

 

They all slightly jostle in their seats as Jin drives over a small pothole in the road when Jimin suddenly screams in fear.  The pothole may have been a minor indention in the road, but for some reason, it feels just like how the S.S. Tang unexpectedly jerked to a stop a few hours ago.

 

Sowon whips her head to the back of the car to find Jimin's whole body shaking terribly as he claws at his seat belt.

 

"No, n-no, no, no!" Jimin cries as he releases himself from the confines of the car's safety strap.  He quickly bends forward, tucking his head between his knees as he begins to loudly sob.  "Jungkook—we have to get him out!  Oh, God! T-the water—it's coming!!"

 

Sowon twists in her seat and tries to grab for one of Jimin's hands but fails to when the younger jerks away.  She knows Jimin is having a panic attack, she can tell that the car's sudden movement triggered a memory for him of whatever happened on the ship when it was sinking.

 

"Jimin, you need to calm down, you are not on the ship anymore."  She reaches out again, this time successfully wrapping her fingers around the back of his hand.  "Jimin!" Sowon calls out when he isn't responding.  She then turns to Jin with a worried expression.  "Honey, we have to pull over."

 

"No, we're almost there," Jin tells her as he turns the steering wheel.

 

Just as Sowon opens her mouth to argue, Jin quickly turns on the curb that reveals the entrance to their fenced-in beach house.  Jin switches off the car before he gets out of the car to open the large gate at the front of the house while Sowon hurriedly pushes her door open to rush to Jimin's side.

 

The cold air bites at her cheeks as she trips over her long skirt before she quickly recovers and throws the door open to comfort Jimin.  Sowon lowers her head inside of the frame of the car and reaches out to gently pry Jimin's tightly clenched hands away from his hair. 

 

Sowon slowly kneels, ignoring the feeling of the cold gravel seeping into her clothed knees.  She continues to hold the cellist's hands as she murmurs comforting words to him.  She gently turns one of his hands palm-side up to brush her thumb over the hardened callouses at the tips of his fingers.

 

Jin returns to them then, Sowon feels the soft weight of his hand resting on her left shoulder.

 

"I'm sorry," Jimin eventually sniffles out as he takes his hands from of Sowon's.  He rubs at his nose with the back of his sleeve before he runs both of his hands through his hair.  "For a second…  I…  I-I thought we were back on the—"

 

"Oh, Jimin," Sowon sadly says as she reaches to a place her hand on Jimin's thigh, stopping the limb from bouncing up and down, "It's okay." 

 

She understands.  She had half a mind to run to her son as she did on the ship.

 

"Jimin."

 

Sowon turns her head to find Hoseok standing behind to her husband.  The pianist wears a somber expression on his face.  He's wearing one of Jin's pajama sets, and the skin below his eyes are dark and sunken in from fatigue.

 

Sowon's eyes widen for a fraction of second before she abruptly stands and takes her place next to Jin.  She doesn't miss the way Hoseok eyes her hand when it wraps around Jin's bicep as Jimin moves to exit the car.

 

Hoseok quickly shrugs off the blanket he has wrapped around his body to drape it over Jimin's shivering shoulders.  "Let's get you inside, hm?" he says as he lets Jimin lean his weight onto him.  "You can sleep with me."

 

A butler then makes his appearance as he politely nods his head to Hoseok and Jimin as they shuffle into the house.  "I'll pull the car around back, Mr. Kim," he says before Jin can even offer to say it.  He offers his hand as Jin slips the car key into it and he deeply bows before he moves to drive the car to the back side of the house.

 

"Let's go inside now," Jin says as he wraps his arm around Sowon. "I'll draw you a warm bath while you check on our son, I know you're worried about him."

 

Sowon leans into Jin as they walk into the house.  She feels like the time between the boat sinking and them arriving at their second home are lifetimes apart. 

 

She was hoping to return to their second home with happy thoughts, but dark ones weigh down on her mind instead.

 

As soon as they enter the foyer of the house, they take off their shoes, and Jin and Sowon part ways.  Sowon rounds the corner and heads straight for her son's room while Jin goes to theirs.

 

Sowon is slow to push the door open, careful not to wake her son as she peeks her head inside the room.  She takes her time watching him sleep, leaning her shoulder against the frame of the door as she sighs in relief.  He lies on his back, his limbs spread out like a starfish atop the bed. 

 

Strong arms wrap around her waist and Sowon leans back into Jin's embrace.  Jin traces his plush lips down the side of Sowon's neck as his warm breath cascades over her collarbone.

 

"He was out like a light as soon as I tucked him in," he murmurs into her skin.  "He didn't seem traumatized by the recent events, but was against taking a bath."

 

Sowon places her hands over Jin's and smiles at their son's antics.  Their son is still wearing the outfit he wore for dinner for on the ship.  "I'll clean his sheets tomorrow."

 

Jin leaves his wife with a parting kiss on her shoulder as he turns away to walk down the hall.  "Your bath is ready," he softly calls over his shoulder.

 

Sowon closes the door to her child's room and follows after Jin as he disappears around the corner.  She briefly stops in front of the guest room where Hoseok and Jimin are currently staying in.  No sounds come from the other side of the door, so she suspects that they have fallen asleep.

 

She follows the yellow light filtering from the master bedroom and meets Jin in their ensuite bathroom.  Jin is washing his face at the sink and Sowon places her compass next to his on the counter as she slips by him.

 

Their compasses point at each other like they usually do, but neither of them notices how Sowon's compass's needle doesn't exactly point straight to Jin's.  The needle obscurely wavers every few seconds as if it's trying to point in another direction.

 

Sowon begins to remove her clothes as Jin undoes the cuff links at the end of his sleeves.  He removes his suspenders from his shoulders before he bends down to discard Sowon's dirtied clothes into a nearby laundry hamper. 

 

Sowon doesn't miss the dark blood stains that cover her clothes.

 

_First Seungjun, then Jungkook…  The last few hours shouldn't have turned out the way they did._

 

She braces her hands on the lip of the tub and sinks down into the warm water.  Goosebumps travel up the sides of her torso as she leans to rest against the back of the tub.  Jin meets her gaze as he sits on the toilet adjacent from the large bathtub before he begins to remove his socks.

 

"So what happens next?" Sowon asks.

 

Jin sighs as he sits back up and he cracks his neck to the side in an attempt to release some tension there.  He leans forward and rests his elbows over his knees.  "I'll definitely have to talk to the press soon, also with the cruise company about what happened to the ship…  Namjoon is going to think this all his fault.  You know how he is, Wonnie, I can't let him carry that burden."

 

"It isn't your fault either, honey," Sowon says as she reaches a hand out for him and she slips her wet into fingers into Jin's hand.  "Do you know what caused the ship to sink?"

 

Jin shakes his head.  "To be honest, I have no idea…  When we got to the engine room, there was a hole in the wall.  Namjoon and I suspected the crew tried to patch it before—" Jin stops mid-sentence, his mouth hanging ajar and his eyes are distant.

 

Sowon slightly leans forward and squeezes his hand, silently asking her husband to continue.

 

"It had to be an iceberg," Jin tiredly carries on.  "That is the only explanation I have due to it being so cold this winter."

 

Sowon returns her hand under the water.  "Let's talk about it in the morning.  I'm sure both of our minds are going haywire.  Let's give ourselves a break, hm?"

 

Jin nods.  He clasps his hands together and his eyes linger on the white tiled floor, deep in thought.  Sowon can tell he's leaving something out, but she doesn't want to pry. 

 

They sit in silence for a few minutes.  The bath water Sowon sits in is getting cold, but she's too tired to move at the moment.  When she finally does decide to get out of the lukewarm water, Jin speaks.

 

"I'm sorry if my inviting Hoseok and Jimin to spend the night with us has upset you in some way, honey.  I know we should have talked about it first."

 

Sowon shakes her as she towels herself dry.  "I'm not upset, Jin.  It would be different if we weren't familiar with them.  Our house is always open to our friends."

 

She tiredly smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes.  Maybe Sowon is feeling some kind of way at the fact that her second soulmate is sleeping down the hallway from her.

 

She's too deep in her thoughts as she slips on her nightgown.  Her eyes are far off when Jin tells he's going to take a shower.

 

She can't stop thinking of Hoseok as her husband kisses her cheek before he pulls back the shower curtain.

 

She doesn't even register the mattress dipping behind her as Jin crawls under the covers a few moments later.  His warmth fills the bed, but Sowon feels as cold as ever.

 

The blossoming feeling sitting at the pit of her belly doesn't sit well with her.

 

 

 

 

 

Sowon opens her eyes to the sound of Jin's soft snores and to the nagging feeling of her mouth being dry.  She clears her throat and swallows down a cough before she rises from her bed.  She wraps a thin house robe over her nightgown as she exits the bedroom, making her way down the hallway.

 

The overhead windows in the foyer let in the early sun's light as the grandfather clock standing on the other side of the room reads 5:01 AM.  Sowon doesn't even know if she slept.  She just feels like she's laid in bed with her eyes closed for a few hours, but she was fully awake.

 

She walks into the kitchen, pulling her hair into a ponytail when she startles at a figure in front of her.  "Oh."

 

Hoseok is standing there, his hands splayed atop the marbled surface of the island in the middle of the kitchen with a faraway look in his eyes.  He turns his head at the presence of Sowon.  "Sorry," he ducks his head and slowly blinks.  "I didn't mean to startle you.  I just… had a hard time sleeping."

 

"It's quite alright, Hoseok," Sowon sleepily sighs as she walks by him and over to the cupboard near the refrigerator.  "I don't think I slept well either if I say so myself." 

 

She pulls on the handle and rises on her toes to reach inside of the cabinet.  She tuts her tongue when she can't reach for the glass she wants.  Jin would chuckle at her lack of height compared to cupboard like he usually does and Sowon would complain about why in the world he was so adamant about building their beach house with such high walls and—

 

A warm chest is suddenly pressed against her back and a broad hand lightly rests at her waist.  Sowon's eyes widen as Hoseok's other hand enters her vision, pulling a small glass cup from the cabinet before placing it on the counter. 

 

Hoseok steps back and his hands disappear at the soft clink of the glass against the marble and Sowon is half-relieved and half-saddened at the loss of proximity between them.

 

Sowon picks up the glass and holds it to her chest.  She inaudibly gasps at how close Hoseok is when she turns around, finding him staring at her with unreadable eyes but with a hint of intensity. 

 

He looks at her like he did when they first met on the ship and they found out they were soulmates.

 

He's looking at her like he did that one night they bumped into each other when Sowon was making her rounds on the ship and Hoseok was retreating to room for the night after performing.

 

He's looking at her like he did when he gently pulled her into a dark empty utility closet kissed her like she was his whole world.

 

 

_"Why do we have to keep sneaking around?" Hoseok softly asks as he places a few more chaste kisses against Sowon's slightly swollen lips.  "You're my soulmate.  Whatever he doesn't have I can give you, Sowon, just give us a chance—"_

 

_"Because we can't, Hoseok," Sowon pushes away from him and she finally breaks._

 

_It's almost as if she's reminding herself more than Hoseok that she's a married woman, but here she is, fraternizing with a man she shouldn't be in the dark.  She stares up at him with tear-filled eyes.  God, all she wants to do is to hold Hoseok close and love him as she should, but the universe or whatever created her wants to play some kind of sick joke on her._

 

 _"I am_ _married to my soulmate and I have a child with him, Hoseok.  So no, you can't give me what he can't because whatever this is between us needs to end.  Now."_

 

 

Sowon's compass buzzes in the pocket of her robe as Hoseok steps back into her space and he corners her against the counter.  He gives her enough room to leave if she wants to, but he's close enough to keep her rooted in her spot.  His body warmth radiates off of him in hot waves and Sowon is like a wavering tide being pushed and pulled by a moon that is her second soulmate.

 

When Sowon makes no signs to move, Hoseok leans close and places his hands on either side of her, leaning his weight on the palms of his hands as the tip of his nose softly bumps hers before he rests his forehead against hers.

 

Sowon squeezes her eyes shut and she almost whines at the barely-there contact with her second soulmate.  She puts a hesitant hand on Hoseok's neck and slowly slips it up his skin before she gingerly cups his jaw.

 

Hoseok takes the glass cup from her hand and places it behind her as he curls an arm around her lower back, pulling her flush against him.  He runs his other hand up the dorsal side of Sowon's forearm as she places her other hand on his chest.

 

They stare at each for what feels like hours until they both gravitate towards each other and close the distance between their lips.  Sowon melts in Hoseok's embrace.  Her compass sings as she wraps her arms around his neck and Hoseok runs his fingers up her back.

 

"When the ship was sinking—I couldn't stop thinking about you, Sowon," Hoseok murmurs as he lightly bites his soulmate's upper lip.  He tilts his head and brushes his soft lips over her left cheek.  "I was so worried.  You don't know how bad I wanted to follow my compass and stay by your side, _you just don't know_ , Sowon."

 

" _H-Hoseok_ ," Sowon huffs as she tangles her hair in his hair.

 

She felt the same way, on the ship when it was sinking, when the main lobby was filled with so much chaos it should have created a distraction for her, but it didn't.  Her son, Jin, and Hoseok were running through her mind.

 

"Tell me you thought about me, too," Hoseok says, his voice making the statement seem more like a notion of pleading than a demand.  "I just need to know."

 

"Mhm," Sowon hums in agreement and her eyebrows draw together as she quickly nods her head, stealing another kiss from him.  "Couldn't stop thinking about you either," she sighs against his lips.

 

Hoseok leans back and ducks his head into the warmth of Sowon's neck.  Her pulse is beating erratically, both at the fact that anyone can walk in on them and the fact that being in another man's arms should feel wrong, but it feels _so right_.

 

All of a sudden Hoseok's warmth is gone.  Sowon opens her eyes to find him standing before her with an obvious distance between them.  His eyes have hardened with sadness, but at the same time, he looks satiated with his previous actions.

 

"That's..." Hoseok starts but pauses, trying to find the right words to say as he meets her eyes.  "That's the last time I'll cross the line with you.  I'm really sorry, Sowon, I truly am.  I just couldn't help myself.  Not after what happened last night."

 

Sowon wants to stop Hoseok and tell him she's at fault too.

 

Hoseok places a hand on his hip and wearily sighs.  "Jimin and I already have decided to leave early.  He wants to get into contact with his soulmate.  You don't have to worry about feeding us breakfast, we should be gone by then."

 

"No, Hoseok, you should stay," Sowon protests.  "What would Jin think you two just—"

 

"Oh, I bet he would have _a lot_  to think about if he knew the truth," he cuts her off with a sad glare.  He leans against the island behind him and crosses his arms over his chest.

 

If they didn't kiss just moments ago, Sowon would think Hoseok hated her.

 

"Stay here, Hoseok," Sowon sighs.  "We wouldn't mind you and Jimin staying as long as you needed."

 

"But I would mind," he tells her.  "That wouldn't be fair to me, Sowon."

 

Hoseok's right.  Seeing Sowon and Jin together must be like a slap in the face to him. 

 

"Where will you go?"

 

Hoseok shakes his head.  "I don't want you worrying about me that."

 

Sowon leans back against the counter and tucks away a few baby hairs from her face behind her ears.  "So this is the last time we will see each other."

 

"Yes, I—" Hoseok nimble nods his head, hurriedly blinking away unshed tears as he looks away.  "I-I think so."

 

Sowon pushes away from the counter and wraps her arms around herself.  She walks to the exit of the kitchen and suddenly stops.  "Have a good life, Hoseok," she says, longingly looking over her shoulder at him.  "I mean it when I say that...  And I'm sorry...for all of this."

 

She leaves the kitchen when Hoseok says nothing. 

 

She lets her legs carry her back to bed and she crawls under the covers, careful not to wake her other soulmate up.  

 

Sowon pulls out her compass and finds it pointing to Jin next to her, but the needle stutters every few seconds in the opposite direction.  She swallows down the fact the universe never meant for her and Hoseok to be together, like there's some kind of unforeseen glitch, but she's okay with that.

 

She lies on her back against her pillows, forcing herself not to cry even though she so badly wants to.  

 

Maybe Sowon's finally able to sleep now.  Maybe her mind will finally let her rest knowing how much she's gone through during the last few hours.

 

Sowon closes her eyes and she breathes deeply.  She floats away and she doesn't remember when she fell asleep.

 

 

 

 

 

Sowon awakes to the smell of breakfast floating into the bedroom.  Her stomach rumbles and she rises from her covers, brushing her teeth before following the aroma down the hall.

 

The clock in the foyer reads 10:33 AM and Sowon is thankful she finally got to rest, even if it was only for a few hours.

 

Jin turns around at his wife's presence when she enters the kitchen and he happily smiles.  He turns off the fire on the stove and sets down the spatula before he moves to place a kiss on Sowon's lips when she suddenly turns her head, Jin's lips landing on her cheek instead.

 

A flash of confusion and amusement runs over Jin's features as her eyes Sowon.  "What is the matter?  Am I not appealing enough to kiss this morning," he attempts to laugh off.

 

"Morning breath," Sowon quickly lies. 

 

She knows they always kiss each other in the mornings from time to time.  They never deny each other that intimacy, morning breath or not. 

 

She gives him a tight smile and scratches the back of her neck as she moves to sit next to their son at the kitchen table.  She runs her fingers through his unruly bedhead and grins as he eats.  "How did you sleep, baby?"

 

Before her son can answer, there's a rapid knock at the door.

 

"That must be a messenger from the hospital," Sowon says she stands, chair legs screeching against the tile floor.  With all that has happened between leaving the hospital and now had her forgetting all about Jungkook.

 

She ties her robe closed as she opens the door.  Jin is quick to follow her, also expectant of their visitor.

 

"I have a letter for Kim Sowon?" a teenage boy asks in Japanese. 

 

Sowon furrows her eyebrows at the boy, only catching the sound of her name when Jin steps forward.  He quickly thanks the messenger boy in hesitant Japanese before he takes the letter and bows before he shuts the door.

 

Jin opens the letter, saying something along the lines of how he's been thinking of Jungkook's condition ever since he woke up as he tears open the envelope.  He unfurls the thick paper and Sowon moves to read along with him.

 

"Oh my God, Jin!"  she cups her mouth, a smile laces her lips and she happily jumps up and down in joy.    "He made it through the surgery!  We need to tell Jimin and—"

 

"Honey, Jimin and Hoseok left an hour ago.  I meant to mention that to you earlier," Jin tells her.  "They wanted me to tell you goodbye as they didn't want to wake you."

 

"Oh," is all Sowon has to say to that.  "Well, I hope you sent them off well."

 

Jin wraps his arm around Sowon's back and begins to lead her back to the kitchen.  "I did.  Don't worry about them too much, honey," he says.  "They seemed like they knew where they were heading.  Hoseok said he knew a few folks in town and Jimin said he found his soulmate!  Isn't that great?"

 

"Yeah...  That's great."  Sowon suddenly stops and she turns to wrap her arms around Jin's midsection.  She'll never tell him about her now buried relationship with Hoseok, but she'll spend the rest of their lives giving him silent apologies.  She leans up to kiss him under his jaw and she smiles at his surprised face.

 

"Oh?  What's this?" he asks as he returns her embrace with a chuckle.  "What happened to your morning breath?"

 

She realizes Hoseok doesn't have the same impact on her.  She knows she can never be forgiven for how she's gone behind her husband's back, but she also knows that her compass points to Jin more than it does to Hoseok.  Jin is the only one that truly takes to her heart and she can't deny that.

 

Sowon shakes her head and huffs a smile, her compass buzzing in her pocket.  "I just...  I love you, very much so."

   
"And I love you back," he sincerely replies, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead.  "Very much so."

 

When they make it back to the kitchen, Sowon grabs two china dishes and begins plating food for her and Jin. "Once we finish breakfast we can head over to the hospital to see Jungkook.  He may be awake when we arrive."

 

Jin sits at the head of the table and hums in agreement as he reaches over to clean the corner of their son's mouth with a cloth napkin.

 

They soon find themselves ready to leave, kissing their son goodbye and requesting that the butler drives them to hospital as they put shrug on their winter coats.

 

When they enter the first floor of the hospital, they find it bustling with life and busybodies.  The lobby has a totally different atmosphere than it did when they left hours ago.

 

They make their way over to an information desk and Jin does his best with the little Japanese he knows before a nurse smiles at them and guides the couple down the hall to the room Jungkook is staying in.

 

The nurse politely bows as they reach the door, gesturing for them to open it with a bright smile before she returns to her work station.

 

Jin is the one that opens the door and the married couple walks in on the sight of Yoongi and Jisoo standing at Jungkook's bedside.  Jungkook seems to be asleep and Sowon's shoulders relax at sight of the golden color that has returned to Jungkook's skin.  Her eyes linger on Yoongi and Junkook's joined hands before Jisoo is suddenly hugging her.

 

"Mrs. Sowon," Jisoo huffs into her shoulder, relief radiating off of her as Sowon warmingly returns her hug.  

 

"How are you feeling?" Sowon asks.

 

"I'm fine," Jisoo tells her as she adjusts the cardigan she's wearing.  She sniffs and rubs at her red nose, and she glances at Yoongi as he joins her side.  "A little shaken up, but...  We're okay."

 

Sowon looks between Jisoo and Yoongi with fondness in her eyes.  She can tell they haven't rested, but she can clearly see that they're happy together.

 

When Jisoo told her that she met her soulmate she was excited for her.  Sure, she was still a little disappointed in the girl for lying about her identity on the ship, but she loves Jisoo like she's her own.  She loved her late brother like her own as well.

 

"Nurse Sowon, Captain," Yoongi bows before he firmly shakes Jin's outstretched hand in greeting.  "I have heard a lot of good things about you two.  I'm terribly sorry about your ship."

 

"It was just a hunk of metal," Jin waves him off with a smile.  "What was more important is that everyone got off of the ship safely.  I should be apologizing for your ruined trip."

 

Before Yoongi can respond, Jungkook's voice faintly sounds in the room.

 

He coughs in his sleep and his eyes roll from left to right under his eyelids before he stirs awake.  Sowon moves to his side, moving his dark fringe away from his face as he bats his eyes open.

 

Jungkook coughs again and his eyebrows pinch together.  "W-What—"

 

"Jungkook."  Yoongi is quick to move to his other side.  Grabbing his hand and squeezing it in an attempt to calm the younger down.

 

"W-where am I?" Jungkook tiredly asks as his eyes squint at the sunlight in the room before his eyes zero in on Sowon.  "What's going on?"

 

"You're in a hospital," Sowon informs him.  "Do you remember getting hurt?  You had to get surgery."

 

Jungkook visibly blanches at that.  "Surgery?!" He eyes the bandages wrapped around his abdomen and his heart rate begins to pick up, the monitor by his bedside beeping at a rapid pace.  "I-I can't pay for that!  I d-don't have the m-money," he stumbles as he yanks his hand out of Yoongi grip and he reaches to take the IV out of his arm.

 

Sowon quickly stops him and grabs his wrists, placing them over his chest and she presses them down with a little pressure, trying to stop the impending panic attack Jungkook is about to have.

 

"Jungkook, look at me.  Don't worry about that right now.  I need you to calm down," Sowon says as she looks him in the eyes.  "Slow your breathing down for me like this, okay?"  She makes a big show of inhaling through her nose and exhaling from her mouth, and she doesn't stop until Jungkook is doing the same.

 

Sowon slowly takes her hands away when the monitor quiets down and Jungkook relaxes against his pillow. 

 

He looks to Yoongi, finally noticing his friend in the room.  "Yoongi, where's Yeri?  Did she make it off of the ship?" he asks expectantly.

 

Yoongi remains silent for a few seconds, giving Jungkook a sad look as he glances at Jisoo.

 

"Taehyung," Jisoo hesitantly starts.  "Taehyung, he took her."

 

Jungkook looks like his whole world crumbles.  "How?"

 

"After he shot you," Yoongi continues for his soulmate.  "He had a knife to her throat, Jungkook.  We...we couldn't do anything.  I'm so sorry."

 

Jin and Sowon share a curious glance.  They still need the missing pieces to the story, but for now, they don't ask anything.

 

Sowon looks back to Jungkook, finding his compass held tightly in his hand.  It doesn't take her long to piece two and two together.

 

Jungkook and Kim Yeri are soulmates.

 

_No wonder Kim Taehyung had a gun..._

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Lemme know what you think, I am very appreciative of feedback.
> 
> See you in the next chapter ~


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